Health News
University Hospital in Louisville has been forced to stop providing some free or deeply discounted care to patients who live outside Jefferson County. The number of low-income patients coming to the hospital from surrounding counties created a $20 million shortfall last year, "jeopardizing University's primary obligation to treat Louisville's poor," The Courier-Journal's Patrick Howington reports.
Out-of-town patients who want elective procedures such as colonoscopies now have to pay up to 70 percent of the charge. They also must show that they tried to get care in their home county first and may have a longer wait than Jefferson County patients. The changes do not affect patients who come seeking care for trauma, high-risk pregnancies, strokes or cancer care.
University Hospital is generally the facility of last resort for low-income patients in the region. The training hospital for the University of Louisville, it receives extra state funding to help pay for patients who can't pay for themselves. Last year, the university got nearly $69 million to cover indigent care, but that care cost it $89 million. The $20 million shortfall is five times higher than 2005's shortfall of $3.7 million.
Last year, University gave treatment to 767 Hardin County patients, compared to 441 five years ago; 221 Warren County patients compared to 134 in 2005; and 200 Hart County patients, almost twice the number from 2005. (Photo of patient DeEdra King and physical therapist Cathy Gerrish by Aaron Borton) The economy is likely to blame, Howington reports. "The economic downtown cost many people their jobs, and thus their health insurance, and contributed to a surge in uncompensated care at many Kentucky hospitals." (Read more)
- Er At Louisville's University Hospital Says It Is Pushed To Brink; Many Other Hospitals Seeing More Emergency Patients
Louisville's University Hospital is straining to meet the vastly increased demand of patients coming to the emergency room. Last year, there were 58,010 visits to the ER to the facility, which is meant to act as a safety net for indigent care. That's...
- University Hospital Merger Documents Being Released
The University of Louisville will hand over records pertaining to the merger involving University Hospital, under a settlement signed Tuesday. The documents will include "the June 14 agreement to consolidate the three health-care systems into one ? though...
- Baptist Hospital East Would Allow U Of L Docs To Perform Tubal Ligations There After Merger With Catholic System
Since the merger between Jewish Hospital, University Medical Center and Saint Joseph Health Systems will prevent female patients from getting their tubes tied there ? because St. Joseph is owned by a Catholic-based parent company ? Baptist Hospital East...
- Louisville Hospital Merger Could Thwart Some Patients' Final Wishes
More concerns are being raised about the merger that would put a Catholic hospital group in charge of the University of Louisville's hospital. First, it was the prospect that women getting Caesarean sections would not be able to get their tubes tied...
- Free Clinic Helps Care For Poor Workers In Horse Racing Industry
People who don't have health insurance but who work at Churchill Downs and elsewhere in the horse racing industry can get free care, thanks to the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center. "The nonprofit, nurse-managed clinic started as a joint venture...
Health News
Louisville's University Hospital limits care for non-local patients
University Hospital in Louisville has been forced to stop providing some free or deeply discounted care to patients who live outside Jefferson County. The number of low-income patients coming to the hospital from surrounding counties created a $20 million shortfall last year, "jeopardizing University's primary obligation to treat Louisville's poor," The Courier-Journal's Patrick Howington reports.
Out-of-town patients who want elective procedures such as colonoscopies now have to pay up to 70 percent of the charge. They also must show that they tried to get care in their home county first and may have a longer wait than Jefferson County patients. The changes do not affect patients who come seeking care for trauma, high-risk pregnancies, strokes or cancer care.University Hospital is generally the facility of last resort for low-income patients in the region. The training hospital for the University of Louisville, it receives extra state funding to help pay for patients who can't pay for themselves. Last year, the university got nearly $69 million to cover indigent care, but that care cost it $89 million. The $20 million shortfall is five times higher than 2005's shortfall of $3.7 million.
Last year, University gave treatment to 767 Hardin County patients, compared to 441 five years ago; 221 Warren County patients compared to 134 in 2005; and 200 Hart County patients, almost twice the number from 2005. (Photo of patient DeEdra King and physical therapist Cathy Gerrish by Aaron Borton) The economy is likely to blame, Howington reports. "The economic downtown cost many people their jobs, and thus their health insurance, and contributed to a surge in uncompensated care at many Kentucky hospitals." (Read more)
- Er At Louisville's University Hospital Says It Is Pushed To Brink; Many Other Hospitals Seeing More Emergency Patients
Louisville's University Hospital is straining to meet the vastly increased demand of patients coming to the emergency room. Last year, there were 58,010 visits to the ER to the facility, which is meant to act as a safety net for indigent care. That's...
- University Hospital Merger Documents Being Released
The University of Louisville will hand over records pertaining to the merger involving University Hospital, under a settlement signed Tuesday. The documents will include "the June 14 agreement to consolidate the three health-care systems into one ? though...
- Baptist Hospital East Would Allow U Of L Docs To Perform Tubal Ligations There After Merger With Catholic System
Since the merger between Jewish Hospital, University Medical Center and Saint Joseph Health Systems will prevent female patients from getting their tubes tied there ? because St. Joseph is owned by a Catholic-based parent company ? Baptist Hospital East...
- Louisville Hospital Merger Could Thwart Some Patients' Final Wishes
More concerns are being raised about the merger that would put a Catholic hospital group in charge of the University of Louisville's hospital. First, it was the prospect that women getting Caesarean sections would not be able to get their tubes tied...
- Free Clinic Helps Care For Poor Workers In Horse Racing Industry
People who don't have health insurance but who work at Churchill Downs and elsewhere in the horse racing industry can get free care, thanks to the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center. "The nonprofit, nurse-managed clinic started as a joint venture...