Minnesota lawmakers are wrestling with how to sustain the state’s financially distressed hospitals while patients confront growing medical debt.
One Minnesota lawmaker wants to steer money from an existing healthcare tax back to hospitals so they can expand their charity care programs for patients who can’t afford their bills.
The proposal follows a Minnesota Star Tribune-KFF Health News investigation that found hospitals across the state spend far less on charity care than hospitals in many other states, and use widely different standards to decide who qualifies for free or discounted care.
State Rep. Steve Elkins said helping hospitals with their own tax contributions makes sense as more Minnesotans are losing health insurance.
“Hospitals are providing a fair amount of charity care, but they kind of have an obligation to do something more than they are doing,” said Elkins, who introduced legislation May 13, in the final days of the legislative session.
