Cleveland Clinic to cut charity care for some

Tough economic times are forcing the Cleveland Clinic to cut charity care for some patients. All Northeast Ohio Clinic facilities will stop routinely accepting uninsured patients who can't pay for treatments, aren't eligible for government assistance and who live more than 150 miles away from Cleveland, The Plain Dealer reported. Clinic spokeswoman Eileen Sheil said the changes will apply to people who earn between 250 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. (A family of four that makes $88,200 a year is at 400 percent of the federal poverty level.) Those who earn less are eligible for other aid and those who are more are expected to pay.