Commonwealth Fund

IRS releases new Form 990 instructions; PwC struggles to help Grady rebuild cash flow;

Anne Zieger — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:03:14 -0400

> The IRS has officially released new instructions for Form 990, including tools that make it easier to answer questions, line by line. Article

> While consultants with PriceWaterhouseCoopers are doing their best to make over cash flow Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, it's proving to be a very difficult job, thanks to, among other problems, resistance from staff, bad technology and worker shortages. Article

> Nearly 80 million U.S. adults have medical bill problems, or are working to pay off medical debt, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Article

> Des Moines, IA-based Broadlawns Medical Center has announced that patients will no longer receive free medication unless their income is below the federal poverty level. The public hospital had previously given free medications to patients with no insurance and those on state insurance for low-income patients. Article

And Finally... If you think even a dog could see the flaws in King County, WA's voter registration system, you might be right. Article

MN bill blocks hospitals from using debt info pre-care

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

Arguing that such a practice is coming, even if it isn't widely observed yet, Minnesota legislators have approved a bill forbidding hospitals from using information about a patient's medical debt history to decide whether or not to treat that patient. The bill forbids providers from sharing or obtaining medical debt information until after care is delivered. Hospitals are entitled to determine patient income and assets, but only for the purpose of qualifying the patient for charity programs or state and federal reimbursement.

Right now, a small number of providers have begun financially qualifying patients who need elective procedures. That could conceivably disqualify a substantial minority of patients seeking care, as one in five Americans have medical debt, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund.

To learn more about the bill:
- read this piece from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune
- read the bill text

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