Hospital bad debt in France: who does not pay?
Hospital bad debt commonly represents 4-5% of total patient revenue. We examined bad debts accrued by our hospital over a 10-year period from both a medical and sociodemographic perspective. We found that true medical emergencies represent 90% of 'bad debtors' admitted, and that, despite generalized medical insurance in France, a quarter of unpaid bills belong to French residents. We conclude with a proposal to limit individual hospitals' accountability for bad debt.
Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France.
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I
Durand-Zaleski
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F
Lemaire
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D004469:Economics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005602:France; D006302:Health Services Research; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics; D007182:Income; D008489:Medical Indigency / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*