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California Law Likely Resulted In Lower Bills, Free Care For Uninsured
A California law limiting how much hospitals can charge the uninsured likely resulted in lower bills for many patients — and free care for most of the state’s poorest uninsured residents, according to a study published today in the journal Health Affairs.
While some hospitals around the country have voluntarily agreed to reduce how much they charge the uninsured, the California law, passed in 2006, requires hospitals to draw up financial assistance policies. The law also prohibits hospitals from charging higher rates to uninsured patients who earn less than 350 percent of the federal poverty level, or less than $40,215 for an individual this year, than those paid by Medicare patients. The same rule applies to those whose annual medical expenses exceed 10 percent of their income.
Unlike some other state rules — and the federal health law – the California legislation is “specific and it actually sets a cap,” said study author Glenn Melnick, a health care finance professor at the University of Southern California.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/16GoDYB
Source: Kaiser Health News
What's at Stake as Oral Arguments Are Presented in the Braidwood Case? Q&A With Richard Hughes IV
April 21st 2025Richard Hughes IV, JD, MPH, spoke about the upcoming oral arguments to be presented to the Supreme Court regarding the Braidwood case, which would determine how preventive services are guaranteed insurance coverage.
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Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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Comparing Breast Cancer Treatment Outcomes Between Fee-for-Service and Medicare Advantage
April 4th 2025This study examined postdiagnosis breast cancer treatment outcomes for Medicare Advantage vs fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare in Ohio and found no significant differences overall but disparities for Black patients with FFS Medicare.
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