| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2006 | FOR MORE INFORMATION
WILLIAM VAN SLYKE
(518) 431-7770
|
Agreement Reached on Charity Care Eligibility Standards
Statement From HANYS President Daniel Sisto
“HANYS supports the agreement reached last night by the State Legislature on comprehensive legislation that would provide consistent financial aid eligibility and billing standards for low income and uninsured patients. We are pleased that by working together, a reasonable, workable bill has been developed.
“HANYS has been a leader in New York and nationally on this issue. In 2003, HANYS issued guidelines to our members that provided a means for the state’s hospitals to institute consistent and reasonable methods of determining appropriate billed charges, if any, for care provided to low income and uninsured patients.
“Our goal was then, and remains today, to better ensure that no one would let the fear of a hospital bill stand in the way of getting the care they need.
“Hospitals understand and embrace their obligation to provide community service. The great majority of our member hospitals have already put in place generous charity care policies, some of which go beyond the provisions of the agreed-to legislation.
“Assemblyman “Pete” Grannis and Senator Kemp Hannon have demonstrated thoughtful and effective leadership on this issue, and we commend them on their commitment to patients and to hospitals.”
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