U.S. Hospitals Are Asking Their Own Patients to Donate Money

A 2013 change in federal health privacy law made it easier for hospitals to target their patients for donations. While the 2013 law required hospitals to inform patients that they could decline to be solicited by fund-raisers, few patients are aware of this, said Deven McGraw, a former deputy director of health information privacy at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Many hospitals send solicitation letters to all of their insured patients, including those with little desire — or ability — to make donations.

Source: www.nytimes.com