STATE SUSPENDS HSN HOSPITAL VISIT
CO-PAYS

The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy has temporarily suspended all non-pharmacy co-pay requirements for Health Safety Net patients. Pharmacy co-pays still apply.

You will recall that the state had first planned to implement co-payment requirements last December, and postponed implementation until March 3, 2008. These co-pays went into effect March 3rd, but are now suspended until further notice. This suspension pertains to the $5 co-payment on hospital outpatient visits; the $50 co-payment on inpatient admissions; and the $50 co-payment on ED visits. HSN Patients continue to be responsible for pharmacy copays. The Division anticipates that copays for medical visits will be reinstated in the future. The Division will offer further guidance on processes to address any copayments that may have been collected to date.

-Adapted from e-mail “Suspension of Health Safety Net Co-Payments” from Kim Simonian, MPH, Community Benefit Programs, Partners HealthCare, May 07, 2008 and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human ServicesDivision of Health Care Finance and Policy Administrative Bulletin 114.6 CMR 13.00 “Health Safety Net Copayments for Medical Services”.

05/08