Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1468176
15 CFO / FINANCE US hospitals that give the most free care to patients By Jakob Emerson B ecker's determined which U.S. hospitals provide the most free health services to patients as a share of their total patients. The 2019 data released April 5 is from the coverage, cost and value team at the National Academy for State Health Policy in collaboration with Houston-based Rice Universi- ty's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Hospitals with the highest percentage of charity in their payer mix: 1. Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center — 76 percent Location: Grantsville, W.Va. Beds: 25 System: independent Ownership type: nonprofit 2. Harris Health System — 55 percent Location: Houston Beds: 615 System: Harris Health Ownership type: public 3. Westside Medical Center — 49 percent Location: Hillsboro, Ore. Beds: 122 System: Kaiser Permanente Ownership type: nonprofit 4. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital — 48 percent Location: Hamilton, N.J. Beds: 152 beds System: RWJBarnabas Health Ownership type: nonprofit 5. Moanalua Medical Center — 43 percent Location: Honolulu Beds: 295 beds System: Kaiser Permanente Ownership type: nonprofit 6. Cancer Treatment Centers of America Phoenix — 41 percent Location: Goodyear, Ariz. Beds: 38 System: independent Ownership type: for-profit 7. John H. Stronger Jr. Hospital of Cook County — 36 percent Location: Chicago Beds: 448 System: Cook County Health and Hospital System Ownership type: public 8. Dallas County Hospital District — 35 percent Location: Dallas Beds: 777 beds System: Parkland Health and Hospital System Ownership type: public 9. (tie) Dorminy Medical Center — 31 percent| Location: Fitzgerald, Ga. Beds: 48 beds System: Phoebe Putney Health Systems Ownership type: public 9. (tie) Dell Seton Medical Center — 31 percent Location: Austin, Texas Beds: 226 System: Ascension Health Ownership type: public n HHS requests data from 2,000 providers on medical bill collection By Marissa Plescia T he White House is taking steps to relieve Americans' medical debt burden, includ- ing having HHS evaluate provider billing practices and their effects on healthcare affordability and medi- cal debt accumulation. HHS will ask more than 2,000 pro- viders for data on medical bill col- lection practices, lawsuits against patients, financial assistance, finan- cial product offerings and third-par- ty contracting or debt-buying prac- tices, according to an April 11 White House news release. HHS will use this information for grant-making decisions and to pub- lish data and policy recommenda- tions. The federal Consumer Financial Pro- tection Bureau will inspect credit re- porting companies and debt collec- tors that take advantage of patients' and families' rights. In addition to holding providers and collectors accountable, the White House is working to improve under- writing practices, helping veterans with medical debt and improving consumer education tools. n