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NUMC offers several financial assistance programsHealthcare costs can be an inconvenience for the average family paying for well-child checkups, sports physicals or office visits for things like ear infections. But, when something unexpected happens, like a trip to the emergency department or an unplanned surgery, it can throw a family’s entire financial stability into a tailspin. With that in mind, New Ulm Medical Center, as part of Allina Hospitals and Clinics, provides millions of dollars a year in financial assistance to its patients. “We realize that the pressures of out-of-pocket costs are increasing, even for those who have insurance, so this is something we have set up to help our patients deal with those rising costs,” said Steve Massey, Finance Manager at New Ulm Medical Center. MedEligible Services There are many people who qualify for existing assistance programs but it’s difficult to know what programs are available and for which ones it is appropriate to apply. That’s where MedEligible Services can step in and help. MedEligible is staffed by people who are familiar with various federal, state and county benefit programs. They can educate patients and families and assist them in getting help from the following programs: Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security, Veteran’s Administration, food stamps, emergency food and shelter and the drug discount program. Partners Care Program The Partners Care Program is designed to assist patients within certain income guidelines, but who are not eligible for Medicaid. The following graph indicates the income guidelines: Family size Annual Gross Income
The application process for Partners Care Program is simple and requires information on family size, employment, income, banking and insurance. If the patient meets the guidelines, all of their healthcare costs will be paid for up to one year, unless they have a significant change in income. New Ulm Medical Center currently has over 100 patients enrolled in the Partners Care Program and so far this year has covered $480,000 worth of medical expenses for patients through this program. Uninsured Discount Program If you are an uninsured patient who does not qualify for Medicaid or the Partners Care program, you will automatically get a 40% discount on medically necessary hospital charges. The discount will be reflected on your hospital bill. Even if you have insurance but receive medically necessary services that are not covered by your insurance you may qualify for this discount. Through June of 2006, NUMC had covered over $200,000 for patients enrolled in the Uninsured Discount Program. MedCredit Financial Services MedCredit Financial Services allows a patient to consolidate all medical bills into one low monthly payment and the payment plan can go on indefinitely. Everyone is approved for this program and it doesn’t require a credit check. All of these programs are offered consistently across Allina Hospitals and Clinics, said Massey. “So even if a patient is sent to Abbott, or some other Allina facility, they can include those charges in these programs.” Massey himself benefited from MedCredit after an emergency appendectomy earlier this year. “All of a sudden, I had $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs that I hadn’t planned on because I chose a high deductible insurance plan,” Massey said. “It all got consolidated down to a $25 a month payment.” A patient will often end up with multiple bills stemming from one hospital visit, Massey explained. For example, if a patient comes to the Emergency Department with a broken leg, they will receive a hospital bill and a physician bill. If that patient is uninsured, they will receive the automatic 40% discount. Through MedCredit, they would then be able to combine what is left of the two bills into a low monthly payment. Another, more startling example that Massey used was of a patient having to receive chemotherapy treatments at a cost of $10,000 per month. If the patient qualifies for the Partners Care Program, they would have all of that cost covered for them. “When a patient has that kind of stress from a medical condition, they shouldn’t have to have that kind of financial stress on top of it,” said Massey. “We help them find solutions that work for their individual situations.” Patients interested in any of these programs can sign up through the medical center business office located in the hospital lobby.  Back to Health Edition |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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