Obamacare helps slash hospital charity costs in state (Washington)

[rhett o rick]

Washington hospitals provided nearly $154 million less in charity care in the first half of this year than in the first half of 2013, in many cases boosting the hospitals’ bottom lines.

Hospitals attributed the plunge in charity care — about 30 percent — to the Affordable Care Act’s focus on reducing the number of uninsured patients.

This year, for the first time, low-income and uninsured patients whose care was previously covered under hospitals’ charity-care programs were able under the ACA to qualify for Medicaid coverage or subsidized private insurance.

Together, hospitals reported a 66 percent gain in total margin — the figure nonprofit hospitals report instead of profit — over the first half of 2013. For the first half of 2014, the aggregate margin for all hospitals reporting was nearly $720 million, compared with $435 million for the same period in 2013.

Read the article here: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024542340_acacharitydropxml.html

[merrily]

1. Good news, I hope.

I am hesitant because the last time I was excited about an OP with good news about Obamacare, someone replied to me with an article contradicting the OP. So, I am thrilled with this news--unless it turns out to be false.

I really don't keep up with all the ins and out of Obamacare because I am covered by my husband's insurance and I can barely keep up with the ins and outs of that.

[rhett o rick]

2. I think it is good news. nm

[merrily]

3. Good. I like good news.

Thanks.

[Kennah]

4. Thanks a lot Obama!

I find it difficult to balance between an attempt at piling on with the faux outrage of "Thanks Obama" wherein the President is blamed for everything, including good news, and genuine thanks for the courageous effort and tremendous political capital expended enacted the ACA.