A bill that would require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to develop a standard financial assistance form that would be required to be provided to patients when they are admitted and discharged from facilities has passed the state House of Representatives, although the version that passed is a departure from the original version of the bill, which aimed to pay off medical debts that had been sent to collections.
State of play:
- The House approved House Bill 79 last week by a 187‑16 bipartisan vote. The measure now heads to the Republican‑controlled Senate, where it has been referred to the Health & Human Services Committee.
- Rep. Arvind Venkat, a Democrat and the sponsor of the bill, amended it last month, shifting its focus from government‑funded medical‑debt relief to standardized access to existing hospital financial‑aid programs.
Driving the news: Venkat, an emergency‑department physician, said many patients and clinicians are unaware of the charity‑care and sliding‑scale discounts hospitals already offer. “Our legislation would make sure patients receive this information in a standardized, easily understandable format,” he said.
Catch up quick: The original HB 79, introduced in January, would have appropriated state funds to purchase and retire qualifying medical debts that had entered collections. Supporters pivoted after learning relatively few Pennsylvania hospital systems sell patient accounts to third‑party collectors, limiting the reach of a buy‑and‑forgive program.
The details:
- Uniform paperwork: The Department of Health must, within 180 days of enactment, create:
- a single, plain‑language financial‑assistance application for use by every hospital;
- a one‑page summary of eligibility criteria (income thresholds, asset limits, contact points); and
- a short statement highlighting the availability of aid.
- Patient hand‑offs: Hospitals must give the summary to every patient at intake and discharge, print the statement on all bills, good‑faith estimates and admission forms, and help applicants complete paperwork on request.
- Online transparency: Full policies and the one‑page summary must be posted on hospital websites and sent to the Department of Health for public display.
- Bill‑hold provision: Once a patient submits an application, the hospital may not pursue payment until an eligibility decision is issued.
- Reporting: Facilities with aid programs must file their policies and summaries with the department, which will publish them on its website.
