Financial strain forces MetroHealth to consider revamping charity care structure

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Facing spiraling charity care costs that now are about $1 million daily, Cleveland’s MetroHealth System is proposing significant changes to its financial assistance policies.

The plan aims to reduce the amount of free or discounted care for some middle-income uninsured patients while simultaneously increasing efforts to enroll uninsured patients in health insurance plans.

These are four takeaways from health reporter Julie Washington’s original article.

Spiraling costs prompt drastic measures

MetroHealth’s charity care spending has doubled since 2022, reaching an unsustainable level of over $1 million per day. This financial strain, worsened by a rise in uninsured patients and impending Medicaid cuts, has already forced the county’s safety net hospital to lay off sta