News Release
Contact: Tony Lux
Phone: 720-360-1079
Email: tlux@cclponline.org
HB 21-1198 helps make hospital care more affordable for Coloradans
DENVER — On Thursday, September 1, 2022, Colorado’s Hospital Discounted Care law will go into effect requiring all hospitals to take certain steps to make hospital bills more affordable for low- to moderate-income Coloradans. House Bill 21-1198 provides new rights and protections for patients; however, patients must be made aware of their rights under the new law to take full advantage of its benefits.
Under Colorado’s Hospital Discounted Care law, all hospitals in the state are required to:
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Screen patients to see if they qualify for help paying their bills
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Inform patients of their rights
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Offer discounts and affordable payment plans on hospital care to patients who qualify based on their income
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Take certain steps before sending an unpaid hospital bill to collections.
Both insured and uninsured patients can benefit from the Hospital Discounted Care law, but insured patients must know to request screening for Hospital Discounted Care in order to access discounts. This makes it extremely important that Coloradans know their new rights. People of all immigration statuses can qualify for discounts.
“These are the protections Coloradans deserve from our hospitals to be able to get the care they need with more reasonable costs,” said Adam Fox, Deputy Director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “This law caps how much low and moderate income Coloradans can be charged, sets clear standards for affordable payment plans, requires hospitals to proactively screen uninsured patients for discounts, and more. This law helps ensure people can get the hospital care they need with more peace of mind.”
“This law is a major step forward for Colorado,” said Julia Char Gilbert, Connelly Policy Advocate at Colorado Center on Law and Policy. “No one should face financial ruin because they or a loved one needed medical care. These patient protections bring us that much closer to achieving that reality in Colorado.”
The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI), Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) and Vedra Law have partnered to create a fact sheet and guidebook for patients to understand the new rights afforded to them under this law. Those resources can be found at cohealth.co/hospitaldiscounts.
Additionally, any media with questions or those interested in sharing the changes with the new law with Coloradans, CCHI and CCLP have experts available for interviews. Please contact:
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Tony Lux
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720-360-1079
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Adam Fox
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303-563-9108
About Colorado Consumer Health Initiative:
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) is a nonprofit, consumer-oriented, membership-based health advocacy organization that serves Coloradans whose access to health care and financial security are compromised by structural barriers, affordability, poor benefits, or unfair business practices of the health care industry. CCHI’s mission is to advance the consumer voice to improve access to health care for all Coloradans by working statewide for progress toward equity, affordability, and quality.
About Colorado Center on Law and Policy:
Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to the vision that every Coloradan should have what they need to succeed. Standing with diverse communities, organizations, and individuals, CCLP is but one piece of the rising movement to fight poverty across our state. CCLP serves our fellow Coloradans using the powers of legal advocacy, legislative advocacy, coalition building, community engagement, research, and analysis.