Last week, Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed suit against St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma for withholding charity care from low-income patients. State law requires hospitals to provide charity care (financial assistance) to low-income patients, but recent investigations demonstrate some hospitals fail to comply.

A recent report from Columbia Legal Services found that hospitals are failing to adequately address language barriers, screen patients for eligibility or inform them of their charity care rights. Columbia Legal Services recommends an affirmative screening process, new laws requiring effective notice of charity care availability and improved language access requirements.

NoHLA and OneAmerica reported on charity care at Yakima Regional and Toppenish hospitals last summer, finding that they are not providing their fair share and need to do better. They recently submitted comments in response to the pending acquisition of the hospitals and will continue to monitor charity care to ensure low-income patients get the care they qualify for.