May 2, 2005

Emergency physician to address Cover the Uninsured Week a national, local and growing issue
Regions provided $25 million in charity care in 2004

Cover the Uninsured Week is May 1-8, 2005

ST. PAUL, MINN., May 3, 2005 Today, in the United States, 45 million Americans have no health insurance, including more than 8 million children. On a local level, approximately one out of every five patients who sought care at Regions Hospital in 2003 were uninsured and received charity care. Regions provided $25 million in charity care in 2004, an amount that increased 30 percent from the year prior ($18 million in 2003).

In 2004, Regions provided charity care to patients from 71 Minnesota counties. In all, nearly 23,000 patients came to Regions last year needing charity care services. Regions financial accounting staff works to find funding options for uninsured patients and, since 2003, nearly 4,000 new patients have been enrolled in government healthcare programs.

WHAT: Interview opportunity to learn about local charity care issues and charity care's impact on hospitals
WHO: Brent Asplin, M.D., medical director Regions Hospital Emergency Department
WHEN: Wednesday, May 4, 2005 from 1 to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Regions Hospital main entrance, 640 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

For more information contact Jennifer Kovacich,
Regions Hospital Public Relations
at (651) 254-4726 or by pager at (651) 629-0411.