Why Cook hospitals are losing millions
Poor record-keeping gives free ride to those who can pay
No one seemed to care that Mary Smith had health insurance when she sought medical care from Cook County last year.
At the Hayes Health Center on the South Side, a misinformed clerk told her, "You know, we don't take insurance," when Smith presented a Blue Cross and Blue Shield card.
At later visits to Stroger Hospital, overworked staff didn't inquire if Smith, 66, had medical coverage. "They didn't ask me, so I didn't offer," said Smith, a former custodian who also has Medicare.
Although her experience is not universal, it's not an aberration either. Cook County's three hospitals and 28 clinics often fail to collect payment for medical services--even when patients
have insurance and qualify for government health plans, according to almost two dozen interviews with officials, doctors, nurses and other experts.
As a result, taxpayers are underwriting millions of dollars--perhaps tens of millions--in medical care annually for people who could contribute to the county's coffers instead of being a financial
drain on the public health system....
http://www.communityhealth.org/about...20Millions.pdf
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