Free care demand is falling
By Alice Dembner, Globe staff
A new report by the Massachusetts Hospital Association tracks the decline in use of the state’s “free care pool” over the last few years, as the state has enrolled more people in Medicaid and a new subsidized insurance plan.
From fiscal year 2006 to 2007, “free care” visits to hospitals dropped by 12 percent, according to the report. The state pays hospitals to care for patients without insurance or who are underinsured, but has been reducing the payments as more people get insured.
“There has clearly been a demonstrated decrease in demand in Uncompensated Care Pool volume and cost between FY06 and FY07, and this is another indicator that health care reform is succeeding,” said Sarah Iselin, commissioner of the state Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, which oversees the pool but was not involved in the report. “As we move forward in FY08, we expect to experience additional decline in demand.”
The drop in visits was uneven, with some major Boston hospitals seeing huge drops, while other hospitals saw increases. The report does not offer an explanation for those differences.
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Elizabeth Cooney covers health for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. She
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Why is it that the media TV news,newspapers or radio not reporting the investigation of insurance companies in New York and California?The insurance companies are ripping off Doctors,patients and the government.Plus they are not paying medical bills.I read about this investigation and am very upset.Our state is not telling the people about this?Where is our insurance commissioner?The citizens of Massachusetts are being sold junk insurance with the state's blessing.I find this outrageous and am writting to all media to investigate this sham called chapter58Massachusetts health reform.