NEW YORK, NY June 29, 2007 —New York's Health Department says hospitals need to work harder to provide financial aid to uninsured patients. WNYC’s Fred Mogul has more.

Last year, Albany passed “Manny’s Law,” named after an uninsured Nassau County man who died after being turned away by St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and told to apply for Medicaid. The law requires hospitals to provide discounted medical service on a sliding scale for people with income up to $62,000 for a family of 4.

Under newly issued guidelines, hospitals are required to publicize this obligation, so uninsured patients know they’re eligible for aid. Hospitals must post signs and include notifications on printed bills and statements, and they must do so in multiple languages.

Consumer health advocates are hopeful that Manny’s Law will help reverse what they say is a chronic problem - hospitals not offering enough charitable care to justify their non-profit status. For WNYC, I’m Fred Mogul.