Neighborhood Health Center team makes sure patients don’t let finances hinder care
Neighborhood Health Center team makes sure patients don’t let finances hinder care
Financial concerns should never be a reason for delaying regular health care – and the team at Neighborhood Health Center works hard to make sure patients don’t let money issues keep them from seeing their caregivers.
“Neighborhood Health Center’s financial support for patients includes a variety of options,” said April Limburg, Chief Financial Officer. This includes patients who don’t have coverage or who may have insurance but struggle with co-pays and deductibles.
The NHC team provides full support to work with patients on completing paperwork, find eligibility for discounts or coverage options for their care. “Our staff is available to answer questions about billing and coverage,” she said.
All NHC patients are automatically screened for financial need at each visit. Through a partnership with ClaimAid, patients are assisted in getting coverage when available, approved for discounts on care based on federal poverty guidelines and assessed for medication help and transportation needs.
Some patients, particularly those with insurance coverage, are surprised to learn they may still qualify for help or discounts because of the number in their household. “Even patients with insurance coverage struggle with their portion of the cost,” Limburg said. Even patients with insurance can qualify for help depending on the size of their family and income.
“And our services are offered to all patients, regardless of their payor source,” she added. As the center has seen the number of Latino patients grow, Spanish interpreters have been added on site to assist. The center is actively recruiting staff that is bilingual to better serve patients with Spanish as their primary language.
A common misconception she finds among patients seeking care is that many do not realize they qualify for help. “The federal poverty limits are generous. For example, a family of four with an income of $53,000 or less would qualify for help.”
“We are here to ensure that regardless of financial status, patients receive quality healthcare.” New or existing patients may apply for help. Under Limburg’s leadership, NHC has dramatically expanded the number of patients served for financial assistance. “April has done a tremendous job with improving our health center’s financial stability. She and her team have created a very strong revenue cycle and have been instrumental in our ability to obtain and utilize grant funding available to community health centers which directly correlates to more services and program for our patients” said Carrie Miles, CEO for NHC.
Limburg recently completed her certification as a Chief Financial Officer through the National Association of Community Health Centers. “This is an elite, six-month long, very intense program that April was able to successfully complete on top of her growing list of daily duties. We are extremely proud and blessed to have her leading our organization financially. Through her and her teams hard work, we have been able to expand our financial assistance for our community.”
To begin the process of getting help, Limburg suggests calling (765) 965-4299 to schedule an appointment with a Financial Specialist. The application can be completed before the patient’s first appointment.
Paperwork needed for the appointment includes a photo ID, insurance card and proof of income for everyone in the household. Details can be obtained when making the appointment. Spanish translation is also available when needed.