A.
Posted Notice. Each hospital shall post notices of the
availability of free care in locations within the hospital at which members of
the public generally transact business with the hospital or present themselves
to receive or request hospital services, including admitting areas, waiting
rooms, business offices, and outpatient reception areas.
B.
Individual Notice. With
respect to inpatient services, each hospital shall provide individual written
notice of the availability of free care to each patient upon admission or in
the case of emergency admission, before discharge. With respect to outpatient
services, each hospital shall either accompany the patient's bill with a copy
of an individual notice of the availability of free care or shall provide a
copy of the individual notice at the time service is provided.
C.
Content of Notice
(1) The notice must contain the most current
Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPL), which are obtainable from the Internet at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty or
through the Department. Except as provided in 1.04 (C) (2) below, the posted
and individual written notice must state the following:*
*Please note that the numbers provided as examples below are
derived from the 2006 FPL, recalculated to one hundred and fifty percent (150%)
of the FPL, and are provided merely to illustrate proper notice form. Notice
should state the FPL of the relevant year.
NOTICE
FREE MEDICAL CARE FOR THOSE UNABLE TO PAY
We must give free care to Maine people with income less than
one hundred and fifty percent (150%) of the FPL, which for 2006 is as
follows:
| Size of Family Unit |
2006 FPL |
150%
FPL* |
| 1 |
$9,800 |
$14,700 |
| 2 |
$13,200 |
$19,800 |
| 3 |
$16,600 |
$24,900 |
| 4 |
$20,000 |
$30,000 |
| 5 |
$23,400 |
$35,100 |
| 6 |
$26,800 |
$40,200 |
| 7 |
$30,200 |
$45,300 |
| 8 |
$33,600 |
$50,400 |
Add $3,400 for each additional person
You can apply for free care at
___________________________________
[specific location where individuals may apply].
You will be asked if you have insurance of any kind to help
pay for your care. You may also be asked to show that insurance or a government
program will not pay for your care.
Only necessary medical care is given as free care.
If you do not qualify for free hospital care, you are allowed
to ask for a fair hearing. We will tell you how to apply for a fair
hearing.
(2) In those
instances where a hospital has a Hill-Burton obligation and where the
hospital's free care policy for fulfillment of that obligation is not more
restrictive than the guidelines set forth in this rule, a hospital may
substitute its Hill-Burton notice for the notice specified in 1.04 (C) (1).
D.
Supplementation of Notice. A hospital that elects to provide free
care that would not be required under this Chapter shall supplement the notice
set forth in (C) above with information about the availability of additional
free care.
E.
Communication
of Contents. The hospital shall make reasonable efforts to communicate
the contents of the written notice to persons it has reason to believe cannot
read the notice.
