The Hill-Burton Act 1946: Could this help you pay a medical bill?

Although I do not live in the United States, I thought this was important enough to share, and thus, motivate my first thread. A search of this topic came up blank. So here I go…

First, my two cents: I do not believe wealth, moderate or otherwise should be the benchmark of access to proper, caring, efficient medical treatment. I believe it is a human right, not a luxury reserved for those with padded bank accounts. That said, this is not for everyone, it’s geared toward those with low(er)-income. But I hope the information will make its way to someone who may benefit from it. I think this is important.

I came to this information first-hand and recently. I will share a quick run-down with you without divulging the specifics as that would breach my fiduciary responsibility and confidentiality--something I prefer to avoid in my line of work - healthcare/insurance. Synopsis: a man--not even a citizen of the United States of America--had an accident while on an extended visit there. He suffered an injury, a serious one. The bill bordered the six-figure mark, and he was sans insurance. A medical practitioner explained there was something called The Hill-Burton ACT, enacted in 1946, and to look into it seriously. This individual described this as the “government’s best kept secret.” The bill was paid in full. This got my attention.

So, this bill: I did some minor, by NO means exhaustive research: it looks on the up and up. Yes, there are stipulations, yes, there is paperwork (isn’t there always with this type of thing?), but if someone in need can get a medical bill paid, then it’s worth it to draw attention to its existence.

“In 1946, Congress passed a law that gave hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities grants and loans for construction and modernization. In return, they agreed to provide a reasonable volume of services to persons unable to pay and to make their services available to all persons residing in the facility’s area. The program stopped providing funds in 1997, but about 200 health care facilities nationwide are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care.”

Source:

www.hrsa.gov...

There’s a lot of available information on eligibility and so forth. Good luck to anyone who may find this useful!

Other links:

www.hhs.gov...
www.schillerinstitute.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.encyclopedia.com...