Free and Charity Care and Bad Debt

In FY 2007, uncompensated care for more than 28,400 inpatient discharges and outpatient visits totaled $13.3 million. This included $11.6 million for the provision of free and charity care and $1.7 million in bad debt expense. These calculations are based on costs, not charges. The Hospital continued to provide free care to patients who fell below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. A family of four with income at or below $51,625 was eligible for free care if they did not qualify for State Medicaid.

In FY 2007, Bridgeport Hospital experienced a growing number of insured patients with inadequate insurance coverage as the result of high deductibles or large coinsurance percentages. Many new insurance policies have maximum payment caps that are inadequate to cover most hospital admissions. As a result, the Hospital experienced an increasing number of patients applying for free care or who simply could not pay their hospital bills.

For patients with household incomes between 250 percent and 400 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines ($82,600), care was discounted to cost.

In addition, any patients, regardless of income, received financial assistance if their aggregate Hospital bills exceeded 10 percent of household income.