New law reduces charges for uninsured
Posted March 29, 2009 11:00 pm
A new law will reduce what hospitals charge the uninsured and cap how much they can collect in payment.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan is reminding people about the new law that goes into effect Wednesday.
Under the law, hospital charges to the eligible uninsured can't exceed the cost of services plus 35 percent. It also caps at 25 percent of a patient's family income what hospitals can collect annually from the eligible uninsured.
The idea is to let the uninsured pay discounted rates for health care just like people with insurance do.
Madigan's office says hospitals have sometimes charged the uninsured at rates that are more than 200 percent over the cost of services.
Madigan's office will enforce the new law.
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