Los Angeles County officials are considering increasing the availability of free and discounted care at the hospitals it runs, the Los Angeles Times reported Feb. 16.
Under the proposal, free care would be available to eligible residents with incomes under 200 percent of the federal poverty level — $60,000 for a family of four — according to the report. The current cutoff is 138 percent of the federal poverty level — $41,400 for a family of four.
The proposal would also reduce charges for patients who make 400 percent of the federal poverty level or less, but officials have not defined what those reduced amounts would be, according to the report.
The proposed rules would also expand the program to cover patients who are underinsured, according to the report.