Law Drops Charges for the Uninsured

Tuesday March 31, 2009

Beginning Wednesday, doctors and hospitals will no longer be able to price gouge their patients who do not have health insurance. The Attorney General has created the new law, and her office will be the one to enforce it. She said that oftentimes, hospitals charge uninsured patients at rates that are more than 200 percent over the cost of service. Those patients with insurance generally get a discount.

Now, uninsured patients will receive the same discounts. A hospital will no longer be allowed to charge an uninsured patient more than 35 percent of the cost of services. Also, a hospital is only allowed to take up to 25 percent of a family’s annual income each year from the uninsured.

This move is expected to help bolster the economy by giving those individuals who cannot afford health insurance the same break that those who can afford insurance get. For more information about this law and how it may affect your current or future medical bills, talk to your local legal expert today!

Sources: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-uninsureddiscount,0,4882187...