City, HUP may work on insurance

The city's Five-Year Financial Plan, released by Mayor Edward Rendell last month, recommends that the city strengthen ties with local hospitals and academic medical centers that could assist in the effort to find programs available for uninsured patients. This initiative would take some of the burden off the city's local health centers. In addition, the plan suggests improving the billing and classification system for Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid is medical insurance for low-income households and people with disabilities. In the plan, the city's Department of Public Health estimates 60 percent of all users of Ambulatory Health Care and Maternal and Infant Care programs could qualify for Medicaid. According to Michael Nardone, associate vice president of government relations for the Medical Center, many people without medical insurance qualify for Medicaid, but do not take advantage of it. The Medicaid application process involves two steps. Patients first must fill out forms at the hospital and then go to the county welfare office. Many patients "fall through the cracks of the welfare system" and their medical bills go unpaid when they don't go to the county office, Nardone said. Still, the Five-Year Plan, which Philadelphia City Council will vote on this month, does not specify how the process of acquiring Medicaid will be made easier or how hospitals will help patients receive assistence. Nardone said HUP is dedicated to helping the uninsured. "The hospital already has a strong commitment to providing care to the uninsured," Nardone said. "I think that we will work with the city to do what we can to provide for those less fortunate." In addition, Nardone said that every member of the communiy, including HUP, needs to contribute to helping the city overcome its financial crisis. "It is tougher and tougher to do more, but we [HUP] can always do more," Nardone added. Each year, HUP provides $30 million dollars of uncompensated and undercompensated care to people with little or no insurance, Nardone said. Uncompensated care is any care for people without insurance, and undercompensated care is care for people whose insurance reimburses at less than cost. Nardone said that if the Medicaid program was improved, less of a burden would be placed on HUP, as well as the health care centers. "If more people had Medicaid, it would be positive for the hospital," Nardone said. "We support efforts to place people in programs in hospitals that make sure folks get Medicaid."

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