Grady Board Asked to Have Indigent Patients Pay for Shortfalls

In a December 1st Medicaid Watch Report on State Medicaid and Health Cuts and Expansions, by Thomas P. McCormack, Grady is referred to as “Georgia's Safety Net.”

Concerns are expressed because of the $250 Million short fall which the indigent care of primarily Fulton & DeKalb Counties.Both Fulton and DeKalb Counties were asked for an additional $20 million. Fulton gave and additional $15 million and the DeKalb County and the State may offer an additional $5 million each.

Where is the $200 million promised by business leaders if Grady were to be privatized?

Promises to provide funding to continue Grady Memorial Hospital's indigent care services have not been kept. Who will pay the difference between what is needed and what is available?Grady's Chief Financial Officer thinks that the patients that used to benefit from free services, because they are indigent, should pay for the services themselves!According to a memorandum from the Grady Coalition, “Mike Ayers plans to ask for Board approval on January 5 to begin to require Fulton and DeKalb patients who earn between 126 and 200% of the federal poverty income to pay 40% of the cost of their care (up to 25% of annual income).

This means, for example, that a single person earning $13,001 per year before taxes, could be charged as much as $3250 a year, and a single person with a $26,000 income could be charged as much as $6500. At present, Fulton and DeKalb patients with incomes below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines receive free care.”

The memorandum continued... “Coalition has met and unanimously agreed to stand against the Grady Health System administration's proposal to cut thousands of low-income patients off the rolls of those receiving free care.

The Grady Coalition believes that implementing this proposal will jeopardize the health of thousands of patients. Many patients will not seek care due to the charges, resulting in suffering and death.