Declaration of policy. It is the policy of the City and County of San Francisco that charity care-medical care provided to those who cannot afford to pay and without expectation of reimbursement-is a vital portion of community health care services. While San Francisco General Hospital is the primary provider of charity care services in San Francisco, private hospitals also have a responsibility to serve uninsured and poor patients. Nonprofit hospitals in particular have an obligation to provide community benefits in the public interest in exchange for favorable tax treatment by the government. It is essential that, on an ongoing basis, the City and County of San Francisco evaluate the need for charity care in the community given the City's responsibility to provide care to indigents. To plan for the continuing fulfillment of this responsibility, the City needs information from the hospitals in San Francisco on each hospital's policies on the availability of and criteria for charity care. For planning purposes, the City also needs information on the amount of charity care provided by each hospital. Upon receipt of such information, the City can better fulfill its mandate to provide care to indigents and fashion an appropriate response to unmet needs for charity care including the recommendation of budgetary, regulatory or other action at the State and Federal levels.
To maximize the access to charity care within the community and to enhance the health of the public by informing individuals of the availability of charity care, it is further the policy of the City and County of San Francisco that each hospital notify patients of that hospital's policies on charity care. Such notice shall include visually prominent multilingual postings explaining the hospital's policy on charity care. It shall also be the policy of the City and County of San Francisco to require hospitals, when practicable, to verbally notify patients at the time of admission as to the availability of charity care and the process for applying or qualifying for such care.
(Added by Ord. 163-01, File No. 010142, App. 7/20/2001)