MONDAY NEWS LINKS: UTMB Galveston’s Charity Care Policy Faces Community Criticism

(Harvey Rice, Houston Chronicle)
GALVESTON – Two months of secret negotiations over the University of Texas Medical Branch’s much-criticized charity policy ended in failure after UTMB refused to accept changes offered by two community groups.

The two groups have been urging UTMB to change its charity policy since 2008 and have persisted as the number of charity referrals accepted by UTMB dropped dramatically. Once known for its willingness to care for the uninsured, UTMB turned away 91 percent of potential charity referrals in 2011, up from 35 percent in 2005, according to figures released last week by the two groups.

Galveston County residents fared no better than those from outside the county. UTMB denied charity care to 90 percent of all unsponsored referrals of county residents, the report said.

UTMB spokesman Raul Reyes, who was provided with the communities group report, did not dispute its findings. Galveston County has asked that UTMB turn away anyone enrolled in the county’s indigent care program, Reyes said.

“The main driver is the lack of a contract with Galveston County,” he said. “If a Galveston County patient is part of the indigent care program, we have to deny them because that’s what Galveston County has asked them to do.”

County Health District spokesman Kurt Koopman said the county has made no such request.

The community groups say it’s impossible to read UTMB’s state-required charity policy and understand who is eligible for free or discounted treatment. Potential charity patients are denied care before they are screened to determine their ability to pay, the groups say.
(Read the full story at the Houston Chronicle)

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