Charity Care Financial/Medical Hardship

April 30, 2002

Although providing charity care is not the primary mission of UT Medicine, there will be times when it is appropriate to provide such care. Those times might include, special teaching case needs, certain humanitarian concerns, certain catastrophic situations, etc.

UT Medicine/MSRDP Central Office will develop a policy and process for evaluating and documenting financial determinations according to UT System guidelines.

Any time an individual physician is contemplating treatment in a special situation where he/she feels the patient may be uninsured/underinsured and in a financial/medical hardship category, he/she may request a financial determination from UT Medicine/MSRDP central office.

A financial/medical hardship discount for professional services may be authorized up to the limits authorized according to UT System guidelines (which utilize the Federal Poverty levels established each year.)

Billing sheets should be generated showing the service performed and the discount amount or percentage allowed. The billing sheet should indicate, "Financial/Medical Hardship Discount."

If a physician believes one of his/her patients owes an amount larger than he/she can reasonably pay, a financial determination may be requested. If the patient qualifies under the UT Medicine/MSRDP/UT System guidelines, a financial/medical hardship discount for professional services may be given retroactively at the discretion of the providing physician.

Any discount for supplies, ancillary services, medications, equipment, must be submitted to the division/department for approval.

Central UT Medicine billing office will use a specific code for entering Financial/Medical Hardship discounts into the system for tracking and reporting purposes.