The Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act () is an

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

law that requires

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

s in Illinois to give most uninsured

patient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health c ...

s a discount on their medical bills. The act took effect on April 1, 2009. It is the patient's responsibility to apply for this discount within 60 days of receiving their bill. The bill must contain information about how to apply."Discount Act Requirements"
''ihatoday.org'' Illinois Hospital Association.

Implementation

Almost any

uninsured Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...

patient may apply for this discount. In order to apply a person must earn less than six times the Illinois

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. For example, a patient in a family of four is eligible for this discount if the value of the family's

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...

(including some

asset In financial accountancy, financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value ...

s) is less than $132,300 (six times the Illinois poverty line for a family of four). The discount is based on a

sliding scale Sliding scale fees are variable prices for products, services, or taxes based on a customer's ability to pay. Such fees are thereby reduced for those who have lower incomes, or alternatively, less money to spare after their personal expenses, regar ...

. A person eligible for the discount will receive a 70% discount if the family income is six times the poverty line, 75% for 4.01 to 5 times the poverty line, 80% for 3.01 to 4 times the poverty line, 90% for 2.01 to 3 times the poverty line, and a 100% discount for those who earn double the poverty line or less. The poverty line is based on family size, income, and some assets. the following qualifies as "below the poverty line" in the state of Illinois: * For a single person family an annual income of less than $10,830 * For a 2-person family: $14,570 or less * 3: $18,310 or less * 4: $22,050 or less * 5: $25,790 or less * 6: $29,530 or less * 7: $33,270 or less * 8: $37,010 or less * 9: $40,750 or less * 10: $44,490 or less

Problems

Problems with the bill have been noted. A common critiques is that the bill requires a person to prove that they live in the state of Illinois, which can be difficult for someone who is

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. The bill also does not address people who have jobs that require

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

plans through the company. This is an issue as some people in Illinois complain that if they were not required to get health insurance through their work (which might offer a mediocre plan), they would be able to have more coverage under this act. Some people who have insurance through work may have to pay for their plan and pay more of each medical bill as well. Thus for some, these required health care plans actually cost more than not having one. This bill also forbids hospitals to make a patient pay more than 25% of their annual income within a 12-month period, with the percentage criticized as too high.

References

{{reflist 2009 in American law Economy of Illinois Illinois statutes Healthcare in Illinois

Health insurance in the United States State-based welfare in the United States 2009 in Illinois