Starting Friday, 4 million Washingtonians will qualify for free or discounted care at hospitals across Washington as a result of new legislation, according to a news release from the state attorney general’s office. The legislation requires large hospital systems to provide more financial assistance.
Beginning July 1, approximately half of all Washingtonians will be eligible for free or reduced-cost care at hospitals that represent approximately 80 percent of the licensed beds in the state. Attorney General Bob Ferguson worked with prime sponsor Democratic Rep. Tarra Simmons of Bremerton, as well as Reps. Eileen Cody, and Nicole Macri of Seattle on HB 1616 to strengthen Washington’s charity care law. Ferguson’s AG request legislation expands charity care eligibility to more than 1 million Washingtonians, and guarantees free hospital care to an additional million Washingtonians who are currently eligible for discounted care. Ferguson’s and Simmons’ legislation establishes two tiers of financial assistance — one for large health care systems and another for smaller, independent hospitals.
According to the AG office, the new law gives Washington the strongest protections in the country for out-of-pocket hospital costs. Nationwide, about two-thirds of individuals who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key contributor, and more than half of collection items on credit reports are for medical debts.
For more info on the legislation, click HERE.
