The Virginia Indigent Health Care Trust Fund was created July 1, 1989, as a public/private partnership involving the state government and private acute care hospitals in the state in an effort to equalize the burden of charity care among the hospitals. During 1990 the policies and procedures for operating the Fund were developed by the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), the policy body guiding the Fund's development. The TAP consists of members of the Board of Medical Assistance Services, the Director of DMAS, the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Insurance, representatives of the hospital industry, the small business community, the insurance industry and the medical community.

Charity care is defined as hospital care for which no payment is received and which is provided to any person whose annual family income is equal to or less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. The total gross income of the applicant, including the income of his/her legally responsible relatives, is used to determine eligibility.

The purpose of the Fund is to reimburse hospitals for part of the cost of charity care. Payments from the Fund go to acute care hospitals that have provided charity care in excess of the median level of charity care costs, as provided by all acute care hospitals in the State. It is funded by appropriations from the State General Fund and contributions from hospitals that provide charity care at levels below the median charity care costs for all hospitals. DMAS bills and collects from those hospitals which must contribute to the Trust Fund and then distributes the funds to hospitals that are due payments.

Program Guide (.pdf)

The Virginia Indigent Health Care Trust Fund was created July 1, 1989, as a public/private partnership involving the state government and private acute care hospitals in the state in an effort to equalize the burden of charity care among the hospitals. During 1990 the policies and procedures for operating the Fund were developed by the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), the policy body guiding the Fund's development. The TAP consists of members of the Board of Medical Assistance Services, the Director of DMAS, the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Insurance, representatives of the hospital industry, the small business community, the insurance industry and the medical community.

Charity care is defined as hospital care for which no payment is received and which is provided to any person whose annual family income is equal to or less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. The total gross income of the applicant, including the income of his/her legally responsible relatives, is used to determine eligibility.

The purpose of the Fund is to reimburse hospitals for part of the cost of charity care. Payments from the Fund go to acute care hospitals that have provided charity care in excess of the median level of charity care costs, as provided by all acute care hospitals in the State. It is funded by appropriations from the State General Fund and contributions from hospitals that provide charity care at levels below the median charity care costs for all hospitals. DMAS bills and collects from those hospitals which must contribute to the Trust Fund and then distributes the funds to hospitals that are due payments.

Program Guide (.pdf)