ABOUT OAHHS CONTACT US CALENDAR MEMBER LOGIN OREGON HOSPITALS POLICY & ADVOCACY SAFETY & QUALITY NEWS & EVENTS APPRISE March 02, 2018 Hospitals Enact Clarity In Financial Assistance Policies Today, the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems announced it had worked with lawmakers to pass legislation that will clarify and standardize the financial assistance policies of all Oregon hospitals. The legislative language was added to HB 4020 which passed today in Salem. “Hospitals sought this legislation because it will ensure clarity around how they communicate about financial assistance policies with patients, ensuring the neediest patients are given the help they need,” said Andy Van Pelt, executive vice president of OAHHS. “We don’t want any patients in need to find there are barriers to receiving financial assistance. All hospitals in the state offer financial assistance, and we need to be sure everyone who qualifies is getting it.” This legislative push builds on voluntary policies hospitals have had in place since 2015, in which patients whose household income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are given free care. Many hospitals offer sliding scale assistance at income levels above that point. Under the terms of the legislation, hospitals would need to: Communicate financial assistance policies in plain language; Give patients notice of the policies upon request and in billing statements; Develop a standard application for financial assistance to be used at hospitals statewide. "These new requirements build on hospitals’ existing commitment to providing help to those in need. Oregon’s hospitals provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of free and reduced price care each year,” added Van Pelt. “They remain committed to providing appropriate assistance to any patient in need. The measures contained in the amendment will ensure that there are few opportunities for people to slip through the cracks.” VIEW ALL PRESS RELEASES OAHHS Public Affairs Michael Cox Vice President of Public Affairs & Communications 503-479-6020 mcox@oahhs.org Dave Northfield Director of Communications 503-479-6032 dnorthfield@oahhs.org Jon Heynen Director of Digital Marketing (503) 479-6019 jheynen@oahhs.org 4000 Kruse Way Place - Building 2, Suite 100 Lake Oswego, Oregon, 97035 Phone: 503.636.2204 Fax: 503.636.8310 Email: info@oahhs.com OAHHS AFFILIATES: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap © 2021 Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. All Rights Reserved.