@kraziebill :Right, so the patients who are uninsured now, essentially qualify for Medicaid expansion though Obamacare. OSF accepts Medicaid patients, UnityPoint/Methodist does not. Which is why uninsured people go to OSF. Though an uninsured person can request to go to Methodist.. and Methodist must provide them emergency care, but once they are stabilized, Methodist transfers them to OSF.Now when an uninsured patients lands in the hospital, the hospital has social worker staff who helps get them signed up for Medicaid. In most cases, the hospital will get reimbursed something through Medicaid for that patients care.So one of the big bargain chips of the complex Obamacare negotiations, was that hospitals would accept lower Medicaid reimbursement rates in exchange for the fact that they would now have more patients with insurance, so the hospital should be treating less uninsured people, which should be a net savings for everyone (the hospitals, the taxpayers, insurers and insurees).

But what about those (like me) that didn't want insurance? I would much rather pay for services when I use them.You don't pre-pay at your favorite fast food establishment do you?

@kraziebill :You don't NEED health care until you get sick. The average middle class American cannot afford health care without insurance.Before Obamacare, there were people who needed insurance, but could not buy it.Insurance companies would not insure sick people (pre-existing conditions) or they stopped insuring people after they were really sick for a long time (life time maximums), so the people who needed health care the most were either going bankrupt or were going without health care altogether.

@Astonished What is the amount of charity St Francis and OSF (OSF is the corporation St Francis is owned by) provides in a year?

The OSF healthcare 2014 revenue was $6.9 billion

@joepyeweed
Is that for the entire OSF network? It's massive.

@skutfarcus :Yes, that is the entire network, not just Peoria.en.wikipedia.org/wik i/OSF_Healthcare

Was wondering do these Hospitals charge us tax.

FY 2015 revenue for OSF: $2.3 billion Not sure about for Unity Point.

@Byron I think they could give that .3 back and still make it. Haven't seen a hospital need a bail out.