CLEVELAND, Ohio — In an effort to stem its ballooning charity care costs, MetroHealth on Thursday launched a new financial assistance policy that eliminates 100% free charity care for some uninsured and underinsured Cuyahoga County residents, the health system said Thursday.

MetroHealth is also encouraging such patients to enroll in health insurance during fall open enrollment periods.

Under MetroHealth’s new financial assistance policy, now called its Healthcare Access and Assistance Plan, patients get higher discounts on their medical bills if they also seek counseling from MetroHealth’s financial counselors.

Hardest hit by the changes are Cuyahoga County residents earning between 251% and 300% of the federal poverty level — or $80,000 to $96,000 for a four-person household. People i

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