明尼苏达州的慈善护理法导致医院在财政援助方面的支出增加,尽管原因仍然不明。 Minnesota's charity care law led to increased hospital spending on financial aid, though causes remain unclear.

在明尼苏达州慈善护理筛查法生效后的第一个整年中,9个经分析的非盈利医院系统中有7个报告称增加了慈善护理支出,扭转了以前下降的趋势。 In the first full year after Minnesota’s charity care screening law took effect, seven of nine analyzed nonprofit hospital systems reported increased spending on charity care, reversing a prior downward trend. 2023年的法律要求医院在将账单寄到收款处之前,对病人进行财务援助检查。 The 2023 law requires hospitals to screen patients for financial assistance before sending bills to collections. 虽然立法者认为这一上升是一个积极的迹象, 但专家警告说, 将增长与法律明确挂钩还为时过早, 因为医疗成本上升、患者意识提高、医疗援助计划注册率改变也可能有所助益。 While lawmakers view the rise as a positive sign, experts caution it’s too early to definitively link the increase to the law, as rising healthcare costs, greater patient awareness, and changes in Medicaid enrollment may also contribute. 虽然批准率保持稳定,但一些医院的申请数量激增。 Some hospitals saw surges in applications, though approval rates remained stable. 有两个系统报告略有下降。 Two systems reported slight declines. 该法律旨在预防病人债务,但长期影响仍不确定。 The law aims to prevent patient debt, but long-term impacts remain uncertain.