Charity Care Policy
|
Eden Medical Center and all affiliates of Sutter Health have offered generous charity care policies for generations, and we continue to make great strides in improving the health and well-being of people in the communities we serve.
In February 2004, Sutter Health affiliates adopted a common, systemwide charity care policy. As part of this policy, uninsured patients with annual incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Income Level ($40,000 a year for a family of four) may qualify to receive free care. Uninsured patients with annual incomes between 200 and 400 percent of the FPIG ($40,000-$80,000 a year for a family of four) are billed at rates well below those charged to private insurance companies. No uninsured patient, regardless of their financial status, will receive a bill for full-billed charges at a Sutter hospital.
In March 2006, Sutter Health adopted a new policy for all affiliated hospitals that provides for Eden Medical Center to offer automatic discounts to uninsured patients. These discounts are comparable to the negotiated discounts that the hospitals provide to private insurance companies.
Sutter Health also provides catastrophic protection to low-income uninsured patients by limiting their payment liability to 30 percent of their annual household income.
Charity Care At A Glance
Policy | Patient’s Annual Income Level
(family of four)
| Payment | | Charity Care (2/04) | Below $40,000 (Less than 200% of 2006 FPIG) | Full charity care (free hospital care) | Partial Charity Care
(2/04)
| $40,000 to $80,000 (200% to 400% of 2006 FPIG) | Partial charity care (discount equal to Medicare payment) | Discounts for non-low-income patients without health insurance
(3/06)
| Above $80,000 | Discounts for uninsured patients are set by the hospital at an amount between the average and lowest discounts from billed charges for all commercial fee-for-service health plans. |
Our Bill Collection Policy
Eden Medical Center's standardized collection practices policy prohibits wage garnishments and bench warrants, prohibits property foreclosures and limits the cases in which liens can be filed. The settlement requires Sutter to continue these policies.
Notes About These Policies
The charity care policy, the partial charity care policy, the discount policy for higher income uninsured, the catastrophic protection policy, and bill collection policy apply to all Sutter-affiliated hospitals.
Eden Medical center's charity care policies are limited to hospital charges and do not include physician, anesthesiologist or professional charges that are not billed by the hospital.
For more detailed information, to view Eden Medical Center's Charge Master, or to receive answers to your questions, please contact the Admitting Department at (510) 889-5033.
|
|
|
|
