Under Lee Memorial’s new policy, patients earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be entitled to income-based discounts of either 100 percent or 80 percent off gross charges.
According to the ACA rules, tax-exempt hospitals must use “plain language” to describe their financial assistance policies to patients, according to the report. To meet that requirement, Lee Memorial will provide assistance forms in German and Haitian-Creole languages, using “plain language” to explain financial assistance policies. The health system will also offer education to patients on bill collection processes.
Health system officials believe patients who owe less money are more apt to pay, said system spokeswoman Mary Briggs. Officials do not expect charity care expenditures — currently about $47 million per year — to change significantly under the new policy
The new guidelines will only affect residents of Lee Memorial’s primary coverage areas: Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties.
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