Bill > S842

This bill addresses medical debt by establishing comprehensive financial assistance requirements for hospitals in Massachusetts. The legislation mandates that hospitals develop financial assistance policies that provide free or discounted care based on household income levels, with patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level receiving full free care, and those between 201-400% receiving tiered discounts ranging from 75% to 25%. The bill prohibits hospitals from considering immigration status or total service cost when determining eligibility and requires hospitals to prominently display and communicate their financial assistance policies in multiple languages. Hospitals must provide written and verbal notifications about financial assistance during patient intake and discharge, display policy information in key areas, and include clear statements on billing documents about potential free care or discounts. The bill also requires hospitals to create a uniform application process, train staff on financial assistance policies, and annually report aggregated data about financial assistance applications and outcomes to the state. Additionally, the health policy commission will be responsible for producing an annual public report analyzing the impact of these financial assistance policies on patients and hospitals, with most provisions taking effect one year after the act's implementation.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S842