BAMC to change billing practices to prevent financial 'harm' to patients
The News 4 I-Team has learned Brooke Army Medical Center is making big changes to the way it bills civilian patients. For years we've reported on families with crushing medical debt from BAMC.
Now Jaie Avila reports the military hospital is facing a deadline to comply with a new law passed by congress.
In a briefing with Congressman Joaquin Castro, the Department of Defense said it would make the billing changes starting next Wednesday, June 21st.
Some patients will be charged on a sliding scale and some catastrophic bills will be waived, according to Castro’s office.
Allison Soret was taken to BAMC after a bad fall left her with multiple fractures, even though she asked to go to San Antonio’s other level one trauma center, University Hospital.
“You're in an ambulance, it's not like you ask, ‘well does my insurance cover this? Nope, turn around, drop me off back at home,’" Soret said.
BAMC is not in-network with most insurance companies and will not negotiate fees. So, many patients receive the entire bill months or years later.
If they can't make big monthly payments, the U.S. Treasury Department takes money from their paychecks, social security payments or tax refunds.
Soret owes more than a hundred thousand dollars and her disability check is being garnished.
“I'm never going to pay that off, garnishing my wages fifteen percent of my check every month. I'll be paying for that for the rest of my life," she said.
“People would get stuck with these huge bills, to the tune oftentimes of tens of thousands of dollars," said Congressman Joaquin Castro.
Castro attached an amendment to the most recent defense funding bill that requires BAMC and other military hospitals to implement a sliding scale discount program for civilians who are underinsured or at risk of financial harm.
“On June 21st, finally, the department of defense has indicated to me and my staff, that they will put into place some things to ease the financial burdens of civilians who get treated at BAMC in emergency situations," Castro said.
Castro and Senator Elizabeth Warren still hope to pass a law to wipe out existing bills from past years for civilians like Allison Soret.
Castro says the military shouldn't be charging civilians at all, because as a training hospital, BAMC benefits from treating those patients.
News 4 requested a comment from Brooke Army Medical Center and received the following statement from Peter J. Graves, spokesman for the Military Health Service:
“Section 716 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 requires that DOD make certain changes to its military medical treatment facility billing procedures in order to prevent financial harm to certain civilian patients. The Department is currently developing guidance to fully implement the law. We will be able to share information about this guidance once it is published in the Federal Register. The changes required by section 716 apply to healthcare provided on or after June 21, 2023.”