California's hospital fair pricing act reduced the prices actually paid by uninsured patients

Health Affairs

Volumn 34, Issue 1, 2015, Pages 64-70

  Bai, Ge ^a,b  

^a Economics and Politics   (United States)

^b WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ACT; ARTICLE; HEALTH CARE COST; HOSPITAL POLICY; MEDICALLY UNINSURED; MEDICARE; PRIVATE HOSPITAL; UNITED STATES; AGED; CALIFORNIA; ECONOMICS; FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT; HOSPITAL CHARGE; HOSPITAL COST; HUMAN; LEGISLATION AND JURISPRUDENCE; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT;

AGED; CALIFORNIA; ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION; FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, HOSPITAL; HEALTH CARE COSTS; HOSPITAL CHARGES; HOSPITAL COSTS; HUMANS; MEDICALLY UNINSURED; MEDICARE; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84920903417     PISSN: 02782715     EISSN: 15445208     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1072     Document Type: Article

References (15)

1. Reinhardt UE. The pricing of US hospital services: chaos behind a veil of secrecy. Health Aff (Millwood). 2006;25(1):57-69.
2. Anderson GF. From 'soak the rich' to 'soak the poor': recent trends in hospital pricing. Health Aff (Millwood). 2007;26(3):780-9.
3. Tompkins CP, Altman SH, Eilat E. The precarious pricing system for hospital services. Health Aff (Millwood). 2006;25(1):45-56.
4. Melnick GA, Fonkych K. Hospital pricing and the uninsured: do the uninsured pay higher prices? Health Aff (Millwood). 2008;27(2): w116-22.
5. These states include Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
6. Community Catalyst. Hospital Accountability Project [Internet]. Boston (MA): Community Catalyst; [cited 2014 Dec 3]. Available from: http://www.communitycatalyst.org/initiatives-and-issues/initiatives/hospital-accountability-project/freecare/states
7. Melnick GA, Fonkych K. Fair pricing law prompts most California hospitals to adopt policies to protect uninsured patients from high charges. Health Aff (Millwood). 2013;32(6): 1101-8.
8. Fuse Brown EC. Fair hospital prices are not charity: decoupling hospital pricing and collection rules from tax status. U Louisville L Rev. 2015;53. Paper No. 2014-24.
9. Richman BD, Hall MA, Schulman KA. Overbilling and informed financial consent-a contractual solution. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(5): 396-7.
10. "County program for indigent patients" refers to health services programs that California's counties provide to uninsured low-income patients.
11. State of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Hospital fair pricing policies: general information-frequently asked questions [Internet]. Sacramento (CA): OSHPD; [last revised 2012 Aug 8; cited 2014 Dec 8]. Available from: http://www.oshpd.ca.gov/HID/Products/Hospitals/FairPricing/FAQGen.html
12. The discounted charges also apply to underinsured patients whose medical bills exceed 10 percent of their family income.
13. Congressional Budget Office. Updated estimates for the insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act [Internet].Washington (DC): CBO; 2014 Feb [cited 2014 Dec 3]. Available from: http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/45010-breakout-AppendixB.pdf
14. State of California. California health and safety code, section 127400-127446 [Internet]. Sacramento (CA): State of California; [cited 2014 Dec 3]. Available from: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=hsc&group=127001-128000&file=127400-127446
15. American Hospital Association. Fast facts on US hospitals [Internet]. Washington (DC): AHA; 2014 Jan [cited 2014 Dec 3]. Available from: http://www.aha.org/research/rc/stat-studies/fast-facts.shtml