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Hospitals Looking at Patient Credit ReportsDue to a financial squeeze, hospitals in Atlanta, GA are now using tools to look into the credit reports of patients to determine their willingness and ability to pay medical expenses. Credit reports help hospitals identify the patients who may qualify for free, charity care. In the year 2006, hospitals in Georgia had over $424 million in expenses for uncompensated medical care.Knowing this financial information early can save a hospital millions of dollars in collection agency costs. It also gives hospitals some leverage in trying to negotiate plans for payment with patients who do not have health insurance or who cannot pay in full for treatment. Critics argue that accessing a patient's financial information might lead to severe abuse. A patient with a poor credit history may be denied non-emergency care. Patients may be pushed into tapping lines-of-credit to obtain money to pay for health care treatment. Credit report checks have come about because hospitals need a way to identify which patients cannot pay for care. It has become too costly to hire outside resources for collection. This can help reduce the overall cost of health care as those who need charity care and those who qualify for a payment plan can both be identified immediately. A patient's credit report will be reviewed when they register for medical care along with a validation of their telephone number, address, and Social Security Number. Although hospitals are required to provide emergency medical care despite a patient's ability to pay, they do not have to provide any elective health care. Credit report checks are especially valuable in the situation of elective care. |