Date:4/10/2009

ls are undertaking substantial efforts to provide patients with information on charity care and financial assistance - information is provided on every bill regarding how to apply for assistance, information is posted on hospital websites, brochures are available, and financial counselors assist patients in applying for assistance.

Illinois hospitals continue to partner with government to address the legitimate concerns of their patients. In 2006, IHA worked with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the General Assembly to develop the Fair Patient Billing Act which specifies the billing and collection processes that hospitals must follow. In 2008, IHA again worked with Illinois Attorney General and the General Assembly to enact the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, a ground-breaking new law that will cap hospital bills and offer substantial discounts to uninsured patients.

Statewide, in 2007, 109 hospitals, which filed community benefit reports, provided $4.3 billion in community benefits.

Hospitals across Illinois provide many benefits to their communities, beyond charity care and beyond subsidizing government-sponsored health care, including:

• money-losing services such as emergency care, trauma care, burn units, neo-natal intensive care units;
• community clinics, immunizations, screenings and health education programs;
• research to develop new drugs, treatments and prevention for a wide variety of illnesses;
• training and education of our state's physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.

Illinois hospitals remain committed to working to find meaningful solutions to the real problem - lack of coverage and access to health care for the uninsured. Unfortunately, the CTBA report does nothing to advance that effort.

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SOURCE Illinois Hospital Association Copyright©2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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