In this live virtual event on Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. ET, KFF Health News senior correspondent Noam Levey and Tradeoffs reporter Melanie Evans will share their reporting about this emerging policy solution and the challenges that remain. They will be joined by policymakers and hospital officials from Oregon and Los Angeles, who will share their experiences, obstacles they faced and lessons learned.
Hidden Help
Posted inHidden Help
Medical Debt Is Crushing Hospital Patients in Los Angeles. Public Health Officials May Have a Fix.
In Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can’t pay.
Posted inHidden Help
Hidden Help: What Happened When Oregon Forced Hospitals to Boost Financial Aid?
In the second episode of our special series on medical debt, we explore lessons from Oregon’s aggressive legislation to push hospitals to prevent patients from falling into medical debt.
Posted inHidden Help
7 Takeaways From an Investigation Into Financial Aid at Texas Hospitals
Hospitals can prevent medical debt by preemptively wiping out a patient’s bill. But a Tradeoffs analysis finds that few nonprofit facilities in Texas use this tool to the maximum benefit of patients.
Posted inHidden Help
Hidden Help: A New Push for Hospitals to Prevent Medical Debt
Hospitals can automatically wipe out the cost of care for low-income patients. A Tradeoffs analysis finds that hospitals in Texas could be doing more to protect people from unaffordable bills.
Posted inHidden Help
Hospitals Have a Little-Known Tool to Prevent Medical Debt. Here’s How It Works.
Getting financial assistance from hospitals often involves filling out cumbersome applications. Some states now require hospitals to identify and automatically enroll patients eligible for charity care.
Posted inCost of Care
With Millions Expected to Lose Coverage, States Look for New Ways to Prevent Medical Debt
Economist Neale Mahoney explains the latest research on solutions to medical debt and evaluates policy fixes designed to protect consumers.