New Rhode Island rules require hospitals to provide no-cost care to low-income residents

New Rhode Island regulations that took effect on Sunday require state hospitals to provide no-cost care to any uninsured resident whose income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, the Providence Journal reports.

The new regulations are not expected to affect the amount of charity care given by Rhode Island hospitals, which are all not-for-profit, but are intended to make it easier for patients to navigate the health care system, according to the Journal. The regulations:

• Require hospitals to charge patients on a sliding scale if their incomes are between 200% and 300% of the poverty level. Each hospital will be able to determine its own scale;
• Allow hospitals to account for a patient's assets when deciding charity care eligibility. If a patient's assets exceed the "asset protection threshold," the hospital can charge the patient for care, but only at a price that is equal to the best price that the hospital offers insurance companies;
• Prohibit hospitals from collecting more than the difference between the patient's assets and the asset protection threshold;
• Prohibit hospitals from foreclosing a patient's primary residence for unpaid medical bills but allow hospitals to "attach" the residence to ensure payment if the house is sold; and
• Require hospitals to provide information on the regulations in three languages (Freyer, Providence Journal, 4/2)