Hospital Payment Assistance Program hearing set for Feb. 16

Senate Health and Human Services Committee members next week will consider a bill to establish a Hospital Payment Assistance Program, a measure advanced by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy and other advocates for health care consumers.

The hearing on Senate Bill 12-134 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in Room 356 of the State Capitol. The bill would help people pay their hospital bills by making it easier to get information about hospital charity care and discount plans, limiting the amount uninsured people can be asked to pay on a hospital bill and establishing standards that must be met before a hospital can send someone who is uninsured to collections. Find more detail in a fact sheet prepared by CCLP and the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.

People who favor the bill can support its passage in a number of ways:

• Attend the hearing. Committee hearings are open to the public and a great way to connect with other supporters.
• Tell your story. If you or someone you know is uninsured and has had difficulty paying hospital bills, contact CCLP Communications Director Perry Swanson by e-mail or at 303-573-5669, ext. 306. Personal stories are one of the most persuasive ways to emphasize to lawmakers that Senate Bill 12-134 would be helpful to their constituents. You don't have to be an expert; just consider sharing your own experience.
• Keep informed and be ready to act. As the bill works through the legislative process, CCLP will post frequent updates to a new page on our Policy Matters blog. Visit the page to find more resources and ways to get involved.