Current law requires a health-care facility to screen each uninsured
patient for eligibility for public health insurance programs, discounted care through the Colorado indigent care program (CICP), and discounted care otherwise not reimbursed through the CICP. A patient qualifies for discounted care if the individual's household income is not more than 250% of the federal poverty level and the individual received a health-care service at a health-care facility (facility). The bill adds the requirement that a patient attest to residing in Colorado.
The licensed health-care professional who provides services to a
patient is responsible for billing the patient for those services.
Current law prohibits a health-care facility and licensed health-care
professional (professional) from collecting amounts charged that are more than 4% of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from a facility and that are more than 2% of the patient's monthly household income on a bill from each professional. The bill adds the requirement that a facility or professional cannot collect amounts charged that are more than 6% of the patient's household income on a comprehensive bill containing both facility and professional charges.
The bill authorizes a health-care facility to deny discounted care
to a patient if, during the initial screening, the patient is determined to be presumptively eligible for medicaid.
The bill excludes primary care provided in a clinic that is located
in a designated rural or frontier county and offers a sliding-fee scale from receiving discounted care.
Current law requires each facility to report to the department of
health care policy and financing (department) data that the department determines is necessary to evaluate compliance across race, ethnicity, age, and primary-language-spoken patient groups with the screening, discounted care, payment plan, and collections practices. The bill requires professionals, in addition to facilities, to submit the data.
The bill authorizes a licensed or certified hospital to determine
presumptive eligibility for medicaid.
