New charity care requirements effective July 1

Substitute House Bill 1616 , which becomes effective July 1, 2022, substantially expands who may qualify for free or discounted care under the charity care law by raising the incomes under which patients qualify for free and discounted care. The bill also provides details on how and when hospitals may consider assets as part of determining discounts and requires hospitals to assist eligible patients to apply for retroactive Medicaid coverage. Hospitals need to submit polices that conform to the new requirements to the Department of Health for review by June 1, 2022. For more information regarding the new requirements and policy submission process, see our recent bulletin. (Cara Helmer, CaraH@wsha.org.)