Charity Care

To download our complete Charity Policy, click here.

Purpose:

To provide guidance on granting and recording Charity Care discounts for uninsured and underinsured patients who have received (1) emergent or (2) unscheduled, non-elective services and the patient is individually determined to be financially or medically indigent by any hospital or clinic of Exempla Healthcare.

Policy:

An important part of the Exempla Healthcare Mission is service to the poor and under-served. In that regard, Exempla will assist all patients in receiving available resources for payment of their services. When such resources are not available, patients will be evaluated for voluntary Charity Care. No patient will be denied access to medically necessary services as a result of an inability to pay for care.

Exempla Physician Network (EPN) sites will refer patients requiring charity care to a CICP or Exempla Voluntary Charity provider.

Charity Care determinations will be made according to approved policy and in a manner that balances good financial stewardship with social responsibility.

Definition:

Charity Care is defined as an inability of a patient to pay for medical care. In comparison, Bad Debt is an unwillingness of a patient to pay for medical care. Charity Care is designed to assist those patients who are unable to pay for all, or part, of their health care expenses. Charity Care is not designed to assist those who are able, yet unwilling, to pay.  The patient's willingness to discuss his/her account and disclose pertinent financial information is often relied upon to make the distinction between inability and unwillingness to pay.