Georgia Indigent Care Trust Fund

Indigent Care Trust Fund in Georgia.

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The state of Georgia created the Indigent Care Trust Fund in an effort to provide free medical care to the very low income, uninsured, and indigent. Some most of the financial aid goes to residents that are living in, or near poverty and can’t get health insurance from any other sources. The Indigent Trust relies on funding from the federal government and is part of the government's Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Program, and find hospitals as well as health care centers that participate below.

Georgia is working to increase the availability of health care to the poor. Government funds are being used as part of ICTF in an effort to expand Medicaid eligibility and services and to also support rural clinics as well as other health care providers. Additional funding comes from Breast Cancer Tag Fees, nursing home provider fees, Care Management Organization (CMO) Quality Assessment Fees; ambulance rates and other a variety of other uninsured/indigent initiatives.

The goal of the statewide Indigent Care Trust Fund is to allow more residents to get their medical needs addressed. Using government funding even uninsured people in Georgia who do not qualify for medical bill assistance from Medicaid or Medicare may receive health care from participating community clinics and hospitals.

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A number of hospitals participate in the Georgia Indigent Care Trust Fund. See below for examples. Every facility is required, by state law, to notify patients of the availability of free charity care as well as financial assistance programs for paying their health care bills.

This is required in order for a hospital to receive government grants from the program. ICTF was created over 20 years ago in order to expand Medicaid eligibility and services, and many urban and rural health care facilities rely on this funding. This is also run in partnership with Georgia’s Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program.

Together both of these resources can address financial losses on uninsured, under insured and low-income families and individuals. The government funds from ICTF help finance care to low-income, indigent and uninsured patients.

Other clients tend to be the disabled or elderly living on a fixed income. These payments and grants also help ensure that certain high-cost services, which can include but are not limited to burn units and trauma care, are available to everyone.

One of the key reasons being is that these high cost services may be provided to the low income, and without government funding many Georgia hospitals may stop offering the high priced health care. Applying for Indigent Care Trust Fund (ICTF):

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Over 100 private hospitals, rural clinics and public hospitals participate in Georgia’s DSH program, and a sampling of the list is below. Anyone who needs assistance though should ask their health care provider if they participate in the Indigent Care Trust Fund.

There are some conditions to the program as well, as follows.

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The hospital needs to commit to providing free or low cost services. Patient’s also need to be given the ability to gain admittance into a facility without pre-admission deposits. An individual who goes to one of the Indigent Care Trust Fund hospitals can't be transferred solely or in significant part for economic reasons.

The program needs to be communicated out as well. The hospital needs to place easily readable signs in the admissions area, emergency room, and business office. This needs to be done in English, Spanish and any other appropriate languages for the area.

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Each person who becomes a patient needs to be provided similar individual notices and it needs to clearly notify them of free or reduced-charge services. In some cases the family will be billed on a sliding fee scale; so their lower their income the more likely that the Indigent Care Trust Fund will pay for their entire cost.

These notices should also be included with a patient’s bill, and should include the Georgia Department of Community Health’s toll-free number for individuals to call for questions or more information. Hospitals that participate in Georgia Indigent Care Trust Fund: A number of clinics in Georgia, hospitals, doctors and other medical providers participate.

Many of them are below. Or to get a current list of hospitals, call 1-800-436-7442. Hamilton Medical Center, Dalton, Georgia: Upson Regional Medical Center, Thomaston, Georgia: Satilla Regional Medical Center, Waycross, Georgia: Hutcheson Medical Center, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia: Northside Hospital Forsyth, Cumming, Georgia: St Mary's Hospital, Athens, Georgia: Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany, Georgia: Northside Hospital Cherokee, Canton, Georgia: Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia: Tanner Medical Center – Carrollton, Carrollton, Georgia: Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica, Villa Rica, Georgia: West Georgia Medical Center, Lagrange, Georgia: Newton Medical Center, Covington, Georgia: Gordon Hospital Calhoun, Georgia, Candler Hospital, Savannah, Georgia: Southeast Georgia Health System, Brunswick, Georgia: Elbert Memorial Hospital, Elberton, Georgia: Cobb Memorial Hospital, Royston Georgia: University Hospital, Augusta Georgia: Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Inc., Gainesville, Georgia: Cartersville Medical Center, Cartersville, Georgia: Spalding Regional Medical Center, Griffin Georgia: Stephens County Hospital, Toccoa Georgia: Medical College Of Ga Hospitals And Clinic, Augusta Georgia: Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Marietta, Georgia: Memorial Health Univ Med Center, Inc., Savannah, Georgia: John D Archbold Memorial Hospital, Thomasville Georgia: Trinity Hospital Of Augusta, Augusta Georgia: Bjc Medical Center, Commerce, Georgia: Habersham County Medical Center, Demorest, Georgia: Wellstar Paulding Hospital Dallas, Georgia: St Joseph's Hospital - Savannah Savannah Georgia: Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, Americus, Georgia: Barrow Regional Medical Center, Winder Georgia: Walton Regional Medical Center, Monroe Georgia: Murray Medical Center, Chatsworth Georgia: Union General Hospital, Blairsville Georgia: Floyd Medical Center, Rome, Georgia: Medical Center, The, Columbus, Georgia: Houston Medical Center, Warner Robins, Georgia: Appling Hospital, Baxley Georgia: Dorminy Medical Center, Fitzgerald, Georgia: Athens Regional Medical Center Athens, Georgia: East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Statesboro Georgia: Dekalb Medical Center, Decatur Georgia: Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta Georgia: Grady Memorial Hospital Atlanta Georgia: Washington County Regional Medical Center, Sandersville Georgia: Gwinnett Medical Center, Lawrenceville, Georgia: Coffee Regional Medical Center, Douglas Georgia: Rockdale Medical Center, Conyers Georgia: Dodge County Hospital, Eastman, Georgia: Tift Regional Medical Center, Tifton, Georgia: Jefferson Hospital, Louisville, Georgia: Memorial Hospital Of Adel Inc., Adel, Georgia: Crisp Regional Hospital, Cordele, Georgia: Colquitt Regional Medical Center, Moultrie, Georgia: Medical Center Of Central Georgia, Macon, Georgia: Emanuel Medical Center, Swainsboro, Georgia: Mcduffie Regional Medical Center, Thomson Georgia: Berrien County Hospital, Nashville, Georgia: Burke Medical Center, Waynesboro, Georgia: Atlanta Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia: Grady General Hospital, Cairo, Georgia: South Georgia Medical Center, Valdosta Georgia: Wayne Memorial Hospital Jesup, Georgia: Fairview Park Hospital, Dublin, Georgia: Meadows Regional Medical Center Inc., Vidalia Georgia: St Francis Hospital, Inc., Columbus, Georgia: Irwin County Hospital, Ocilla, Georgia: Memorial Hospital And Manor, Bainbridge Georgia: Taylor Regional Hospital, Hawkinsville Georgia: Evans Memorial Hospital, Claxton Georgia: Wellstar Cobb Hospital, Austell Georgia: Southeast Georgia Health System- Camden Saint Marys, Georgia: Oconee Regional Medical Center, Milledgeville, Georgia: Perry Hospital, Perry, Georgia: Northside Hospital, Atlanta Georgia: Palmyra Medical Centers, Albany, Georgia: Coliseum Medical Center, Macon, Georgia: Southern Regional Medical Center, Riverdale, Georgia: Doctors Hospital, Augusta Georgia: Emory-adventist Hospital, Smyrna Georgia: Wellstar Douglas Hospital, Douglasville, Georgia: Doctors Hospital, Columbus Georgia: Chestatee Regional Hospital, Dahlonega, Georgia: Fannin Regional Hospital, Blue Ridge, Georgia: Flint River Hospital, Montezuma, Georgia: Henry Medical Center, Inc.

Stockbridge, Georgia: Emory Eastside Medical Center, Snellville, Georgia: Donalsonville Hospital Inc., Donalsonville, Georgia: North Fulton Regional Hospital, Roswell Georgia: Coliseum Northside Hospital, Macon, Georgia: North Georgia Medical Center, Ellijay Georgia: Turning Point Hospital, Moultrie, Georgia: Smith Northview Hospital, Valdosta Georgia: Piedmont Fayette Hospital, Fayetteville Georgia: South Fulton Medical Center, East Point, Georgia: Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Inc., Jasper, Georgia: Dekalb Medical Center At Hillandale, Lithonia, Georgia: Piedmont Newnan Hospital, Inc., Newnan Georgia