Human Rights Watch offers this blistering critique of America's "poorly-regulated," not-for-profit hospital system:
- The US heavily relies on these privately operated nonprofit hospitals’ charity care to increase access to health care for patients who cannot pay for hospital services, such as emergency treatment, diagnostic work, and inpatient surgeries. But given the high prevalence of hospital-related medical debt in the US, this system is clearly not working.
- This report documents how the US government’s lack of guidance and oversight gives private nonprofit hospitals wide discretion over how much they spend on making health care accessible for people who cannot pay, who qualifies for this assistance, and how far they will go to collect debts from patients who cannot pay their bills.
- As the US government considers potential reforms to improve health care access and reduce medical debt, this report outlines how existing nonprofit hospital regulations undermine rights and explores the untenable costs of inaction.
https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/06/15/sheeps-clothing/united-states-poorly-regulated-nonprofit-hospitals-undermine