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Posted
January 31, 2008

Attorney General wants poor, uninsured to pay same medical prices as insurance companies

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann "wants to ensure that the state's poor and uninsured pay the same prices for medical care as insurance companies." (Source: "Ohio attorney general wants poor to pay same for medical care as insurance companies," Plain Dealer, Jan. 30, 2008.) Dann said he is concerned about uninsured patients paying higher prices for medical procedures than insurance companies because they don't get large negotiated discounts. The proposal is part of Dann's new push to define what non-profit hospitals must do for their communities to remain tax exempt. Dann also says "he will hire experts to help define charity care" with regards to non-profit hospitals. The Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) says they plan to work with Dann to come up with these standards, with OHA spokeswoman Tiffany Himmelreich saying Dann should also consider other community benefits provided by hospitals, such as medical research and job creation.

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