Charity Care Policy

St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, in fulfillment of its mission and values, will serve those with limited or no capacity to pay for medical services with respect, compassion and sensitivity. To the extent resources are available, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is committed to providing services regardless of an individual's ability to pay or to satisfy related financial requirements.

Our Charity Care Policy exists:

To further the mission of providing health care regardless of the patient's ability to pay for services;
To ensure that patients without insurance will be treated fairly and with respect during and after their treatment, regardless of their ability to pay for the services provided;
To provide financial counseling to all uninsured patients, including assistance in understanding and applying for local, state and federal health care programs such as Medicaid and HCAP;
To describe qualifications for eligibility for the uninsured patient to receive discounted services equivalent to those most commonly received by managed care payors;
To establish reasonable, interest-free payment mechanisms based on the patient's ability to make payments;
And to not pursue legal action for nonpayment of bills against any patient who is unemployed and without access to health insurance, or without significant income or net worth. Before taking legal action for nonpayment, we will ensure that the patient is not eligible for any assistance program and does not qualify under the hospital's charity care policy. We will not pursue action if the only recovery available would be to place a lien on the patient's home that results in a foreclosure activity.

Policy

Patients without any third-party healthcare coverage (governmental or private) may be eligible for the Uninsured Patient Payment Assistance Program that will provide for a discount from normal charges. Qualification will be determined through the application of objective criteria established by the hospital and based on industry standards. Qualification will also be determined based on the individual's willingness to fulfill their obligations, as well as prior payment history.

Process and Procedure

At the time a patient is scheduled for services, a determination will be made of the patient's insurance status. If the patient is uninsured,

Patients will be referred to a Financial Counselor who will obtain information as to the patient's eligibility for governmental or third party payment programs (i.e. Medicaid, HCAP).
Patients are expected to comply with Medicaid and/or HCAP. If patients do not comply, they may not be eligible for any discounts under this policy.
If a patient does not qualify for either program, the Financial Counselor will assist the patient in completing an application form to determine if they qualify for the uninsured discount.
If a patient meets the guidelines for this program, the Financial Counselor will establish a payment plan based on the relevant discounted charge.
The patient shall agree to the payment plan in writing.
If the patient elects not to provide the required information, or sign the application, the patient will be responsible for the full balance (100% of billed charges).
If the patient defaults on the payment plan, the normal collection procedures will be reinstated on the remaining discounted balance.

Definitions

Qualified Patients: Defined as patients who are uninsured with income above 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and that do not qualify for any third-party payment program.

Applicable Income: Defined as adjusted gross income per the patient's federal tax return. For instances where a tax return is not available, the W-2 or pay-stub earnings can be used.

Uninsured Discount Sliding Scale and Payment Table

Uninsured Discounts are based on Federal Poverty Levels as defined by the Federal Government and updated on an annual basis. For anyone with income over these levels, the terms of the "Contract Payment Plan," described below apply.