An HCA-owned health system in North Carolina is not yet making its charity care application public, despite the urging from patient advocates, the Asheville Citizen Times reported Oct. 31.
Nonprofit hospitals are required to offer charity care in order to qualify for tax-exempt status with the federal government, but for-profits like HCA are not, according to the report. HCA-owned Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., has chosen to provide charity care and has a seven-page charity care policy posted online — only in English — but does not publicly post the application.
Portland, Ore.-based patient advocacy group Dollar For and the Mountain Maladies Facebook group — a 13,500-member forum where people discuss their experiences with Mission after its 2019 purchase by HCA — have called on Mission to make that application public, according to the report.
The patient advocates' request was met by support from North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell, who said their request is "common sense and would likely improve the quality of information being provided to HCA Healthcare on charity care application forms," in a letter to Parallon, HCA's revenue cycle management arm, according to the report.
An HCA/Mission spokesperson told the news outlet that its charity care page offers information and a phone number, "not for 'screening,' but to give patients the opportunity to speak with one of our financial counselors who can help each patient individually navigate their various options to determine what is most helpful."
"While we are considering the merits of providing the application online, it's important to note that our financial assistance process starts at the time care begins and we encourage conversations with our financial counselors so that we can help each individual find the assistance that is most helpful to their unique situation," the spokesperson said.