New York Caps Hospital Bills For Low-Income Patients

The New York state legislature recently voted to limit the amount that hospitals can charge low-income, uninsured patients. Uninsured patients are often charged several times as much as people with insurance coverage, which can be a tremendous burden for someone whose income is low, but not quite low enough to qualify for Medicaid coverage.

The New York law charges patients with an incomes at or below poverty level a nominal fee, and uses a sliding scale to determine the fee owed for patients earning between 100%-250% of the powerty level. Patients whose income is between 250%-300% of poverty may not be charged more than the amount negotiated between the hospital and the largest group insurer.