Melanie Evans
speaker
153 appearances
2 recordings
1 series
first heard Mar 2024
last heard May 2024
Melanie Evans’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
WSJ Your Money Briefing · Why Hospitals Now Require Patients to Prepay for Treatment · 10 May 2024
podcast
They are not asking for patients to pick up the amount the insurance company is on the hook for.
They are selective.
Under federal law, a hospital cannot ask somebody in a medical emergency for money before they treat them.
Hospitals must treat and stabilize an individual who shows up with a medical emergency.
They will also typically provide services that are considered urgent without requiring prepayment.
Where hospitals are looking at collecting ahead of time really falls into the category of things that are schedulable, things that you might say, hey, I know I need to get this done.
I'm going to try to get it done in the next couple of months.
And the hospital may come back to you and say, that's fine.
We can get you on the calendar.
Here's what you're going to need to pay in order to keep that appointment.
Otherwise, let's reschedule.
For low-income patients, hospitals typically have what's called charity care.
It also goes by another name, which is financial assistance.
If you're in the position of not being able to afford something, it's best to say, I can't afford this.
Can I find out if I'm eligible for charity care?
Under a charity care program,
Hospitals will write off some or all of the bill.
Every hospital has their own criteria.
This can get very complicated.
But it's absolutely worth asking specifically because, yes, when you can't afford to pay and you fall under that charity care eligibility and you complete the application, which can be complicated, the hospital will not require payment at all.
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