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Illinois bill would require free care for low-income patients at hospitals

(via Flickr/rosmary)

Illinois hospitals would be required to provide free care to some low-income people under a bill passed by the Legislature and headed to the governor's desk.

Urban hospitals would have to provide free treatment to patients with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

That's about $46,000 for a family of four.

Rural hospitals would have to give free care to patients with incomes below 125 percent of the poverty guidelines. That's about $29,000 for a family of four.

Care would have to be medically necessary and patients would have to apply for assistance.

The measure also would authorize Attorney General Lisa Madigan to adopt standards for the applications hospitals use for financial assistance.