Responding to outreach workers' concerns, we recently polled the Health Access Network to learn whether the reduced application timelines for the Health Safety Net are affecting people’s access. From what we've heard, the answer is likely yes.
Last fall, when the Uncompensated Care Pool (UCP) morphed into the Health Safety Net, the state shortened the time alloted for providers to apply for reimbursement from the HSN once a person was seen at a hospital or health center. Under the UCP, outreach and enrollment staff had up to six months after a person’s “date of service” to complete an application to the UCP and still get reimbursement. Now, outreach and enrollment workers have ten days to get the paperwork in.
Most people told us that their clients aren’t able to get the paperwork done in ten days. As a result, the bills fall back to the individual patients, who face medical debt as a result. While these results don’t constitute a “sample size,” they do point to the need to look closely at how the change is affecting access to care for low and moderate-income people who still rely on HSN.
I’m guessing the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy is tracking these issues, and I wonder if outreach and enrollment sites who did not respond to our poll are also seeing this change as a problem, or if things seem to be working out okay.
In order to persuade the
In order to persuade the Administration to reconsider the retroactive period it would be helpful to have more detailed accounts of the circumstances that prevent patient's from filling out & signing an MBR within 10 days of a hospital or CHC visit. Hospitals & CHCs aren't waiting to get all the verification before submitting the application, are they?
The hardship process IS far
The hardship process IS far more flexible than before, but as already stated, the majority of patient bills exceed what their hardship contribution is. It really is hard to get someone to understand that the state has determined they are eligible, but it won't help with a bill thats 2 weeks old.
These regulations are not fair to the patient or the provider.
What we originally saw was
What we originally saw was the anger from those people who waited because they believed they had six months and then were being told after October 1 that in fact it had just changed to 10 days and they were not going to receive coverage for their dates of service.
Unfortunately this pushed most of our clients into looking at Hardship applications. Although the hardship application guidlines are much easier to fit into than before it still leaves many people with Emergency Room visits out of the equation. They may be eligible for full HSN however since their bill is under the 10% marker, and they took more than 10 days to apply, they will still be responsible.
The frustration and anger that this is creating very often over looks the fact that they will then be recieving health insurance.
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