Hospitals commonly discharge homeless patients to homeless shelters or other social service agencies without coordinating with those locations or without a clear plan of how the patient can receive continuing or follow-up care. A recent story by KQED highlights the problem and proposed solutions. State Senator Ed Hernandez introduced a bill that requires discharge to a secure location and a checklist for discharge.
Read more about this alarming trend in a previous post (HCA) where the Sacramento Bee highlights the extreme lack of oversight for a patient “dumped” by a California hospital to a local homeless shelter.
If you are in this situation and need help, please call the Health Consumer Alliance toll free hotline at 888‑804‑3536 and speak to an advocate who can educate you on your rights.
