Connecticut General Statutes 19a-673 – Collections by hospitals and entities owned by or affiliated with a hospital from uninsured patients
(a) As used in this section:
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 19a-673
- Person: means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, governmental subdivision, agency or public or private organization of any character, but does not include the agency conducting the proceeding. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-630
- Unit: means the Health Systems Planning Unit. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-630
(1) “Affiliated with” means (A) employed by a hospital or health system, (B) under a professional services agreement with a hospital or health system that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such entity, or (C) a clinical faculty member of a medical school, as defined in § 33-182aa, who is affiliated with a hospital or health system in a manner that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such clinical faculty member.
(2) “Collection agent” has the same meaning as provided in § 19a-509b.
(3) “Cost of providing services” means a hospital’s published charges at the time of billing, multiplied by the hospital’s most recent relationship of costs to charges as taken from the hospital’s most recently available annual financial filing with the unit.
(4) “Hospital” has the same meaning as provided in § 19a-490.
(5) “Owned by” means owned by a hospital or health system when billed under the hospital’s tax identification number.
(6) “Poverty income guidelines” means the poverty income guidelines issued from time to time by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(7) “Uninsured patient” means any person who is liable for one or more hospital charges whose income is at or below two hundred fifty per cent of the poverty income guidelines who (A) has applied and been denied eligibility for any medical or health care coverage provided under the Medicaid program due to failure to satisfy income or other eligibility requirements, and (B) is not eligible for coverage for hospital services under the Medicare or CHAMPUS programs, or under any Medicaid or health insurance program of any other nation, state, territory or commonwealth, or under any other governmental or privately sponsored health or accident insurance or benefit program including, but not limited to, workers’ compensation and awards, settlements or judgments arising from claims, suits or proceedings involving motor vehicle accidents or alleged negligence.
(b) No hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital that has provided health care to an uninsured patient may collect from the uninsured patient more than the cost of providing such health care.
(c) Each collection agent engaged in collecting a debt from a patient arising from health care provided at a hospital shall provide written notice to such patient as to whether the hospital deems the patient an insured patient or uninsured patient and the reasons for such determination.