DURHAM, North Carolina, January 28 (TNSRep) — Duke Health released the following agency statement:
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Duke University Health System is committed to promoting health, well-being and access to affordable quality care for people and communities in North Carolina, providing charitable care and community investment to ensure that all patients receive the treatment they need.
In fiscal 2020, Duke provided total community benefit and investment of $753 million, a 26% increase over the previous year. Of this cost, $133 million represents financial assistance for 275,752 patients, almost all of whom call North Carolina residence.
For the past 10 years, Duke has provided $4.7 billion in community benefits and investments statewide. Duke’s Financial Assistance and Discounted Care Policies provide eligible care at a reduced or no cost to all eligible patients who do not have health insurance or cannot pay for care and prohibit lawsuits , liens and other aggressive collection activities on outstanding patient balances.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke will continue to ensure that all patients are treated equally and receive the highest quality care. The pandemic has exacerbated the need for increased access to health care for uninsured North Carolinians, and Duke continues to encourage state leaders to focus on closing the health insurance coverage gap .
North Carolina Lawmakers currently have an unprecedented opportunity to provide health care to more than 500,000 uninsured North Carolina residents through the expansion of Medicaid, which would significantly reduce the number of uninsured patients. Duke remains true to our mission, vision and values of providing care to our patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay for care.
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REPORT: https://corporate.dukehealth.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/Community%20Benefit%20Report_2021.pdf
