Case Study: UCHealth delivers $26M in charity care and streamlines financial assistance with Experian Patient Financial Clearance

UCHealth writes off $26 million in charity care by automating financial assistance process

UCHealth, a nonprofit health system based in Aurora, Colorado with 12 hospitals and over 30,000 employees, found its charity care spending lagging regional expectations despite having an equitable policy. After reviewing peers, UCHealth identified a missing presumptive charity capability to flag patients for financial assistance early and anticipated state caps on charges for low‑income patients, so they sought an efficient, low‑burden way to screen and enroll more eligible patients.

In early 2023 UCHealth implemented Experian’s Patient Financial Clearance to automate screening using Federal Poverty Level ratios, propensity‑to‑pay segments and a Healthcare Financial Risk Score, integrated with Epic. The data‑driven approach sped eligibility determinations, reduced staff workload (600 cases closed in August 2023), prevented misclassification as bad debt, and enabled $26 million in charity care across more than 1,700 approved cases in 2023 while improving patient access and regulatory compliance.

UCHealth

Andrew Pederson

Director of Patient Financial Experience