Carolinas hospitals look for savings from health-care reform – Charlotte Business Journal:

Federal health-care reform is promising relief to N.C. hospitals on the millions of dollars they lose each year from uncompensated care. But hospital officials aren’t counting on that money just yet. In fact, most are still sorting out how the landmark legislation will affect their operations.

Health-care providers in North Carolina lose a combined $1.4 billion per year on uncompensated care, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The changes signed into law Tuesday mean that more patients will have health insurance; by 2014, individuals will be required to have coverage or face penalties.

“Uncompensated care would begin to be reduced immediately as more uninsured people gain coverage,” says Robert Turner, chief executive of Holly Hill Hospital, a mental-health facility in Raleigh. “The bill (also) expands eligibility for Medicaid … to people with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. So we obviously should see a reduction in uncompensated care.”

Story continues here ➤