ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is helping New Yorkers understand their right to financial assistance for hospital bills under New York’s Hospital Financial Aid Law.
The AG’s guide
According to the Office of the Attorney General, many New Yorkers aren’t aware that all hospitals in the state are required to offer financial aid to eligible patients who can’t afford their bills, or many don’t know how to apply for it.
That’s why James released a guide Thursday, breaking down who qualifies for hospital financial aid, what the law covers, how patients can apply for help paying their medical bills, and more.
“Hospitals have a legal obligation to help patients who are eligible for financial assistance, and no one should be pushed into medical debt because they did not know where to turn,” said James in a press release.
Who qualifies?
People might be eligible for hospital financial aid if they meet the requirements for household income and health insurance status.
The AG’s Office says the federal government defines the federal poverty levels (FPLS) for annual income based on the size of a household. The office says in most cases, hospitals must offer financial aid if the household income is no more than four times or 400% of the federal poverty level.
Hospitals calculate the amount of your discount on a sliding scale, depending on household income, the AG’s Office says. To learn more and see the federal poverty guidelines, click here.
Health insurance status
If a person’s household income meets the FPL requirement, they can qualify for hospital financial aid if they don’t have any health insurance, are underinsured, which means they have health insurance, but out-of-pocket medical costs for the past year are more than 10% of pre-tax household income, or if someone has used up your health insurance benefits and can show that they can’t pay for remaining care.
What hospital financial aid covers
According to the AG’s Office, financial aid typically covers the following:
For emergency care: Hospitals must provide financial aid to all eligible New Yorkers who meet the household income and insurance status requirements. For non-emergency, medically necessary care: A hospital must provide financial aid only to eligible patients who live in the hospital’s primary care area. Each hospital defines this area in a written summary of its financial aid policies and procedures. These services include medically necessary hospital services, outpatient services provided by the hospital, and inpatient stays. For copays and deductibles: You must show your inability to pay these amounts. The hospital can then decide whether it wants to pay these for you.Applying for financial aid
All hospitals within the state must use the same standard application created by the State Department of Health.
People can get the application by either requesting an application from the hospital’s financial assistance office or billing department, downloading the application from the hospital’s website, or from the DOH website here.
The AG’S Office says if someone has a hard time paying medical bills, they should apply for hospital financial aid even if they don’t meet all the requirements. According to the office, the hospital may be able to offer discounts or some other type of financial assistance.
To learn more, visit the AG’s Office by clicking here.
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