I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse. I’ll lend you $538 interest free if you give it back. Capisce? ………. Ok, sure, here’s $49 back, now we’re even.
“Pssst Godfather! Even worse, the $49 is counterfeit manufactured by a chargemaster printing press!”
“It’s like a contract — the taxpayers give nonprofit hospitals tax breaks with the understanding that hospitals will help the community by subsidizing low-income patients who need help,”
They could have qualified for charity care. But Mayo Clinic sued them
In exchange for their tax exempt status, Mayo and other nonprofit hospitals must offer free or discounted care to eligible patients. But a Post Bulletin investigation discovered that some eligible patients sued by Mayo Clinic for unpaid medical bills didn’t know this option existed.
Every nonprofit hospital, including Mayo Clinic, is required by the Affordable Care Act to provide free or discounted care, also known as “charity care” or “financial assistance,” to eligible patients. The federal requirement is intended to obtain public benefit in exchange for the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status.
“It’s like a contract — the taxpayers give nonprofit hospitals tax breaks with the understanding that hospitals will help the community by subsidizing low-income patients who need help,” said Ge Bai, a Johns Hopkins University accounting and public health professor, who has conducted research about charity care.
