League of Women Voters of Cook County
  • Home
  • About
    • LWVCC Interest Groups >
      • Cook County Budget & Structure Group
      • Criminal Justice
      • Forest Preserve Interest Group
    • LWVCC Action and Testimony
    • LWVCC Activities
  • Observer Reports
    • Cook County Board Observer Reports
    • MWRD Board Observer Reports
    • Forest Preserve Board Observer Reports
    • CCH Board Observer Reports
  • Voter Info
  • Resources
    • Cook County Board
    • Forest Preserve Board
    • Cook County Elected Officials
    • MWRD Board
    • Cook County Health Board
    • Member Resources

Outgoing Cook County Health CEO Begins Strategic Discussion On Self-Pay For Medical Services

1/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Cook County Health Board Meeting - December 20, 2019

Following up on the 2020 budget deliberations and the very real issue of the increased cost for charity care, Dr. Shannon, presiding at his final board meeting before leaving the system, led a discussion on “self-pay” and how other major public hospitals across the country handle it.  

For purposes of discussion, self-pay is used in place of charity care.  There was a 17% increase in year-over-year charges from FY 2018 to 2019 from $158 million to $185 million.  The percentage of self-pay was 1.2% in 2018 but dropped to .4% in 2019.  The largest service increases are:  Radiation Therapy [75%], Family Practice [50%], Gynecology [33%] and Surgery [29%].   

Comparisons of NY Health & Hospitals; Jackson Memorial [N. Texas & Oklahoma]; Parkland [Dallas]; and Grady [Atlanta]; self-pay plans were passed to the Board and include: 
  • Sliding scale fees based on Federal Poverty Levels
  • All or a portion of the patient responsibility paid in advance
  • Services covered limited to emergent [emergency]
  • Six months residency required to qualify for charity care
Dr. Shannon listed several strategic considerations:
  • Continuous improvement in revenue cycle process
  • Refine and update self-pay policies and procedures to include collection of co-pays from insured or payment for others [self-pay].
  • Refine and update policies on taking self-pay transfers from other healthcare facilities
  • Build-out point of service collections/payment capacity including:
                     1. Online payments as part of patient portal improvements
                    2. Kiosks with payment options
                    3. Training staff to collect/swipe cash or credit/debit cards
This would be a major change in policy for CCH as well as culture.  Several board members questioned whether the County Commissioners and President would accept this concept.  President Hammock responded that the System should provide an analysis and recommendations so that both it and the County elected officials have a base to work from including possibly deciding to provide more revenue to CCH to handle charity care.

Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation stated in public comments “The Civic Federation remains adamant in our support of this [volunteer] board…..”   He also recommended that the System steer clear of initiatives that do not fit with its core strategy, but did not state what they might be.

Observer - Diane Edmundson                                            Meeting Length:  2 ½ Hrs. 
0 Comments

    Author

    Individual authors are credited at the end of each report.

    Archives

    November 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All
    Cchhs
    CCHHS Budget
    Contracts
    Cook County Health
    Cotracts
    CountyCare
    Covid 19
    Metrics
    Pensions
    Public Health
    Strategic Plan
    Unions

    Categories

    All
    Cchhs
    CCHHS Budget
    Contracts
    Cook County Health
    Cotracts
    CountyCare
    Covid 19
    Metrics
    Pensions
    Public Health
    Strategic Plan
    Unions

    Categories

    All
    Cchhs
    CCHHS Budget
    Contracts
    Cook County Health
    Cotracts
    CountyCare
    Covid 19
    Metrics
    Pensions
    Public Health
    Strategic Plan
    Unions

    RSS Feed

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COOK COUNTY
332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 634
Chicago, IL 60604

312/939-5935 
[email protected]
Terms and Conditions of Use
© Copyright League of Women Voters of Cook County, Illinois. All rights reserved.
Membership Information
CONTACT US
  • Home
  • About
    • LWVCC Interest Groups >
      • Cook County Budget & Structure Group
      • Criminal Justice
      • Forest Preserve Interest Group
    • LWVCC Action and Testimony
    • LWVCC Activities
  • Observer Reports
    • Cook County Board Observer Reports
    • MWRD Board Observer Reports
    • Forest Preserve Board Observer Reports
    • CCH Board Observer Reports
  • Voter Info
  • Resources
    • Cook County Board
    • Forest Preserve Board
    • Cook County Elected Officials
    • MWRD Board
    • Cook County Health Board
    • Member Resources