In an effort to get Illinois not-for-profit hospitals to deliver more charity care, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan introduced legislation that mandates tax-exempt Illinois hospitals give away an amount of care equal to at least 8% of hospital operating costs. In an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, Madigan calls the current level of charity care—an average of 1% of hospital charges—“miniscule.” If passed, the law would require hospitals to provide free care for uninsured patients whose income is below 150% of the federal poverty limit and give discounts of 65% to 80% to those earning between 150% to 250% of the poverty limit. Rural and government hospitals would be exempt from the mandate. A separate piece of legislation calls for more consumer-friendly billing and collection procedures for all hospitals, including allowing patients to pay in installments and more limited use of collection agencies.
