By AP
Paris, TN – The Henry County, Tennessee Medical Center is facing a huge increase in unpaid bills from its customers. The Paris Post-Intelligencer reports the hospital expected almost $4 million in bad debt for the current 2009-2010 budget year, but it has more than $5 million.
Administrator Tom Gee says the increase is the result of many small bills not being paid, rather than a few big ones. Chief Financial Officer Lisa Castell says employees need to start discussing at check-in possible payment arrangements and whether patients should fill out charity care paperwork. She said about 40 percent of the hospital's bad debt could probably qualify as charity care.