Hospital Accountability Project

The Hospital Fair Debt Collection and Amelioration Guidelines Project is a two-year collaboration between Health Law Advocates (HLA) and Health Care For All (HCFA). The Project has progressed through its initial phase with the deployment of a Consumer Medical Debt Survey, which measures the impact of medical debt on access to health care among low-income Hispanic and Portuguese populations primarily in Worcester, Framingham, and Natick areas.

Christina Chan, HLA Legal Intern, generated this exceptional power point presentation which provides analysis of issues and proposes best practices concerning consumer medical debt. Christina completed this report as part of her requirement under a JD/MPH 2010 Program and presented at Tufts University School of Medicine.

 

 

Project Updates

We are pleased to announce that we have received over 100 completed responses of our Consumer Medical Debt Survey. Thank you to all the respondents for participating in our effort to analyze the causes of medical debt and work in statewide initiatives to improve medical debt collection efforts.

We are very concerned about the economic impact of medical debt, especially on low and middle income Massachusetts residents. Medical debt is not a choice but is acquired unexpectedly, often after an individual or family member suffers from a serious illness. Any type of medical treatment can generate large medical bills. Unfortunately, individuals who are uninsured or underinsured are charged the full cost of care and do not benefit from the reduced rates that federal, state or private insurance companies generally pay.

If you are a Massachusetts resident and have not yet completed this survey, please take a minute to complete it and become part of our 100+ consumer voices!

 

 

How to Access the Consumer Medical Debt Survey
The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.  You can access the survey in the following three ways:

1. Click here to complete the Hospital Accountability Project Consumer Survey Online.
   
   
2. Select a link below to print a copy of the Consumer Medical Debt Survey.  Please mail the completed surveys to:
   
   Health Law Advocates
   Attn: Consumer Medical Debt Project
   30 Winter Street, Suite 1004
   Boston, MA 02108
   
   English - Hospital Accountability Project Consumer Survey
   
   Spanish - Hospital Accountability Project Consumer Survey
   
   Portuguese - Hospital Accountability Project Consumer Survey
   
   
3. Request a Survey and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope from an HLA representative by emailing Lorianne Sainsbury-Wong.  Please be sure to indicate your language selection(s) and the number of surveys that you are requesting.

Please also feel free to call Lorianne at 617-275-2987.

The information collected from the Survey will allow us to assess how low-income individuals are impacted by hospital debt collection practices, amelioration policies, and credit counseling services.  Additionally, we hope to gain valuable insight regarding medical debt and access to health care for this vulnerable population.

 

Hospital Accountability Project Support
The Project’s current and anticipated success would not be possible without the effort of several other parties.  HLA and HCFA will work with consumer groups, Vanguard Health Systems, and, over time, hopefully with the Massachusetts Hospital Association to develop and implement model hospital polices and practices to improve health care access, ameliorate medical debt, and establish fair debt collection practices and credit counseling.  Other project partners are the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, The Access Project, and the Artists Foundation.  The Project is funded by Community Catalyst through its Hospital Accountability Project, which distributes funds awarded in litigation against the former Tenet Hospital System. HLA also thanks HCFA/HLA legal intern Christina Chan for her continued work on this project.

 

Completing the survey and have questions?
Feel free to call HLA at 617-338-5241 or e-mail Lorianne Sainsbury-Wong
Questions about getting healthcare? Call HCFA's Helpine at 800-272-4232.