Source: https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Document/N91B25BF0902111DFB69DFF2602E6B930?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)
Timestamp: 2020-08-07 22:15:10
Document Index: 51623627

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 2', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 19', '§ 19']

§ 19-214.1. Financial assistance policies
West's Annotated Code of MarylandHealth--GeneralEffective: October 1, 2010
MD Code, Health - General, § 19-214.1
(2) “Financial hardship” means medical debt, incurred by a family over a 12-month period, that exceeds 25% of family income.
(3) “Medical debt” means out-of-pocket expenses, excluding co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles, for medical costs billed by a hospital.
(b)(1) The Commission shall require each acute care hospital and each chronic care hospital in the State under the jurisdiction of the Commission to develop a financial assistance policy for providing free and reduced-cost care to patients who lack health care coverage or whose health care coverage does not pay the full cost of the hospital bill.
(ii) Reduced-cost medically necessary care to low-income patients with family income above 150% of the federal poverty level, in accordance with the mission and service area of the hospital.
(3)(i) The Commission by regulation may establish income thresholds higher than those under paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(4)(i) Subject to subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph, the financial assistance policy required under this subsection shall provide reduced-cost medically necessary care to patients with family income below 500% of the federal poverty level who have a financial hardship.
1. The median family income in the hospital's service area;
(5) If a patient is eligible for reduced-cost medically necessary care under paragraphs (2)(ii) and (4) of this subsection, the hospital shall apply the reduction that is most favorable to the patient.
(6) If a patient has received reduced-cost medically necessary care due to a financial hardship, the patient or any immediate family member of the patient living in the same household:
(i) Shall remain eligible for reduced-cost medically necessary care when seeking subsequent care at the same hospital during the 12-month period beginning on the date on which the reduced-cost medically necessary care was initially received; and
(ii) To avoid an unnecessary duplication of the hospital's determination of eligibility for free and reduced-cost care, shall inform the hospital of the patient's or family member's eligibility for the reduced-cost medically necessary care.
Posting of financial assistance policy
(2) Require each hospital to use the uniform financial assistance application to determine eligibility for free and reduced-cost care under the hospital's financial assistance policy.
(2) May not require documentation that presents an undue barrier to a patient's receipt of financial assistance.
(f)(1) Each hospital shall develop an information sheet that:
(i) Describes the hospital's financial assistance policy;
(ii) Describes a patient's rights and obligations with regard to hospital billing and collection under the law;
(iii) Provides contact information for the individual or office at the hospital that is available to assist the patient, the patient's family, or the patient's authorized representative in order to understand:
1. The patient's hospital bill;
2. The patient's rights and obligations with regard to the hospital bill;
3. How to apply for free and reduced-cost care; and
(2) The information sheet shall be provided to the patient, the patient's family, or the patient's authorized representative:
(ii) Review each hospital's implementation of and compliance with the requirements of this subsection.
Trained hospital staff
(g) Each hospital shall ensure the availability of staff who are trained to work with the patient, the patient's family, and the patient's authorized representative in order to understand:
(1) The patient's hospital bill;
(2) The patient's rights and obligations with regard to the hospital bill, including the patient's rights and obligations with regard to reduced-cost medically necessary care due to a financial hardship;
Added by Acts 2005, c. 280, § 2, eff. July 1, 2005. Amended by Acts 2009, c. 310, § 1, eff. June 1, 2009; Acts 2009, c. 311, § 1, eff. June 1, 2009; Acts 2010, c. 60, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2010; Acts 2010, c. 61, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2010.
MD Code, Health - General, § 19-214.1, MD HEALTH GEN § 19-214.1