Debt Load: Building a Better Payment Plan (For Hospitals and Their Patients) (Financial Services‪)‬

As bad debt soars, hospitals are getting more aggressive about collecting payment for their services. Some strategies have generated controversy, others praise, but hospital leaders say they can't afford to stand pat in the face of a potential fiscal catastrophe. The American Hospital Association reports that uncompensated care, including both charity care and bad debt, increased steadily over the past decade. In 2006, it reached $31.2 billion and represented 5.7 percent of total expenses.