Letter supporting the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act

This is an example of a letter to an elected representative or executive on a social welfare topic.  This student has written about a proposed law to force hospitals to lower prices for uninsured patients. The law was, as I understand it, proposed because many hospitals have a policy of raising prices for the uninsured.

I am writing to support the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act SB1881. I am a junior at the University of Illinois- Springfield studying in the Social Work Program. I am urging you to lobby for this bill because it provides a discount to hospital bills of uninsured people in Illinois. Most people who do not have health insurance simply cannot afford health insurance. Obviously, if that person cannot afford insurance, it will be very hard to them to afford a monumental bill for services provided at a hospital. Most people, because they lack the funds, will not pay the bill that they did accrue because they are being charged a very high price for services that they needed, most likely in an emergency situation. By applying a discount to uninsured persons’ hospital bill, the patients will be more likely to pay their bill. By discounting the hospital bill, hospitals will be more likely to receive money for their services because fewer bills would have to be sent to collection agencies (where they would settle for far less than even the discounted price).

You may be concerned that by discounting the prices for procedures performed by healthcare professionals, those professionals would not get paid enough for their services. But, that’s not really the case because healthcare services are already so overpriced that cutting the cost of treatment won’t be unfair.

Every person who is uninsured and qualifies for the discount, should receive the discount, even residents who are undocumented. It’s a shame that there is anyone in this country that has to go without health insurance; it’s the least we could do as a state to give those people, who can’t afford health insurance, a discounted price. Just think about people you know, I’m sure you know someone right around you, who does not have health insurance. You would hate for them to lose their house or mode of transportation because they couldn’t afford their hospital bills they accrued during an emergency. I don’t think anyone would want that, that’s why it’s vital for you to support this bill.

Thank you so much for your time and I hope you will support the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act SB1881.