SF 1908

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to health; requiring hospital reporting of charity care, bad debt, and
community benefit; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
144.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [144.708] CHARITY CARE, BAD DEBT, AND COMMUNITY
BENEFIT REPORTING.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Applicability. new text end

new text begin This section applies to all nonprofit hospitals licensed
under sections 144.50 to 144.58.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Charity care policy. new text end

new text begin (a) Each hospital must establish a written policy on
providing charity care. The policy must contain specific eligibility criteria, including, if
applicable, a description of income guidelines, asset guidelines, medical assistance status
impact on charity care eligibility, and sliding fee schedules.
new text end

new text begin (b) The policy must be posted in a public area of the hospital that is easily accessible
to the public and must be posted on the hospital's Web site.
new text end

new text begin (c) Each hospital must make every effort to identify uninsured patients and must
provide assistance to any uninsured patient in applying for any applicable Minnesota
health care program. The hospital must also inform each uninsured patient of the hospital's
charity care policy.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Reporting on charity care and bad debt. new text end

new text begin Each hospital must either
submit the following information to a voluntary, nonprofit reporting organization identified
in section 144.702 as part of the reporting requirements in section 144.702 or to the
commissioner of health under the reporting requirements in section 144.698:
new text end

new text begin (1) charity care; and
new text end

new text begin (2) bad debt.
new text end

new text begin For purposes of reporting this information, the hospital must comply with Minnesota
Rules, parts 4650.0115 and 4650.0117, respectively.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Community benefit reporting. new text end

new text begin (a) Beginning January 1, 2008, each
hospital must report to the Minnesota Hospital Association on the amount of community
benefit provided by the hospital for the previous reporting year. For purposes of measuring
community benefit, a hospital must use the standards developed by the Catholic Health
Association and VHA, Inc.
new text end

new text begin (b) The hospital may report separately on the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) costs in excess of payments for Medicare;
new text end

new text begin (2) discounts provided to uninsured patients; and
new text end

new text begin (3) taxes and fees paid by the hospital to government entities.
new text end

new text begin (c) The Minnesota Hospital Association must make the information reported under
this subdivision available to the public through the association's Web site.
new text end