A minute of health news from around the nation.

Sam Whitehead reads the week’s news: If patients can’t afford their bills, hospitals are typically supposed to offer financial aid — but you might have to ask. Plus, as the number of nursing home beds declines, older Americans are seeking alternatives.

Transcript

If you're staring down a big hospital bill, you may qualify for financial aid, but you might have to ask for it.

I'm Sam Whitehead, and this is your KFF Health News Minute.

Most hospitals offer free or discounted treatment to people with low incomes or lots of medical debt.

It's called charity care.

At least 11 states, including Florida and California, require hospitals to reduce bills for people with incomes below certain levels.

But standards vary from state to state, and getting financial help can require lots of paperwork. will the u.s have enough nursing home beds for a rapidly graying population federal data shows nearly 1 000 certified nursing facilities closed from 2015 to 2025 that's a nearly six percent drop nursing home operators say they can't find staff and that the government doesn't pay enough through medicaid but it might not be all bad news older americans are seeking alternatives like assisted living facilities if they need less medical care or getting nursing services at home there's more at kffhealthnews.org