Imagine being told your hospital bills would be taken care of because you qualify for financial assistance. Then, weeks later, you start to unexpectedly receive thousands of dollars in medical bills.

This was the reality for one Colorado woman who was battling cancer in her ovary. Bills from independently contracted doctors, not technically employed by the hospital, are still allowed to bill charity care patients in many states.

Tax-exempt hospitals are legally required to provide free or discounted care to low-income patients, but many hospitals are finding loopholes to deny help to those in need.

A Lown Town Institute study found that radiology, anesthesia, and pathology specialties are often not covered by hospital charity care.

This isn’t an isolated issue. Many tax-exempt hospitals across the country are cutting corners on charity care while increasing aggressive billing practices. This dangerous move has resulted in patients skipping care, delaying treatment, and falling into debt for services they should never have been billed for in the first place.

Better Solutions is calling for stronger oversight and real accountability. It’s time to close the loopholes, enforce federal guidelines, and put patient care back at the center of our healthcare system.