Charity and Financial Aid Policy

Value Statement

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare facility. It is hospital policy that no one will be denied medically necessary hospital services based upon the patient's ability to pay for those services. A public notice of the availability of financial aid will be visible within the hospital. Beebe Medical Center will comply with all federal, state, and contractual laws, regulations, and requirements.

Objective

The patient or guarantor has the ultimate financial responsibility for care received from Beebe Medical Center. Beebe Medical Center will cooperate and assist all patients in the fulfillment of their financial responsibility. This cooperation includes assistance with enrollment in public or private insurance programs, charity-based programs, financial assistance programs, or other third-party payment programs. Patients have the responsibility to provide timely and accurate information when seeking consideration under the Beebe Medical Center Charity and Financial Aid Policy.

Definitions

Uninsured Payment Policy: Uninsured patients, or patients who designate themselves as self-pay at time of registration and do not qualify under the Charity Policy or Financial Aid Policy, will be offered a discount of 10% of billed charges if the claim is paid within 30 days from the date of first billing statement.

Charity Policy: Uninsured patients with family income up to 200% of the current Federal Poverty Level are eligible for participation in the hospital's charity program. Patient balances will be deemed to be hospital charity. A patient may be deemed to be ineligible under the Charity Policy if, in the judgment of Beebe Medical Center, the patient is eligible for Medicaid or other third-party reimbursement programs and refuses to apply for those benefits.

Individual eligibility will be determined by:

• Proof of income as determined through:
  • Pay stubs
  • Tax return from most recent year (mandatory requirement)
  • Written statements from employer attesting to income
• Proof of residency as verified by Delaware drivers license or resident utility bills
• Area of residency in Beebe Medical Center's primary service area eligible for charity policy are:
  
  

• Residency requirements may be waived in the event of medical emergencies.
• Enrollees in the Nemours Program, CHAPS, or Medical Assistance are automatically covered under the Charity Policy for any patient balances.

Financial Aid Policy: Financial aid in the form of a debt payment plan will be offered to eligible patients whose family income exceeds 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. The hospital will work with the patient to develop an affordable, interest-free payment schedule. A charity discount of 40% of billed charges will be granted to uninsured persons with family incomes between 200% and 300% of Federal Poverty Level who complete the application for financial aid and participate in a payment plan. A charity discount of 20% of billed charges will be granted to uninsured persons with family income between 300% and 400% of Federal Poverty Level who participate in a payment plan.

Beebe Medical Center will not require debt payment that forces a family, either insured or uninsured, into "medical indigency" as defined by Beebe Medical Center's calculation of "medical indigency" based upon income and assets.

Policy

Notice of Financial Aid
Beebe Medical Center's mission is to provide quality care to all who need it, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is hospital policy that no one will be denied medically necessary hospital services based upon the patient's ability to pay for those services.

If you do not have health insurance, or worry that you may not be able to pay for part or all of your hospital care, Beebe Medical Center provides financial aid to patients residing within Beebe's primary service area based upon income and financial need. In addition, we may be able to help patients receive free government-sponsored health insurance or work with them to arrange a manageable payment plan.

Federal and state law requires all hospitals to seek payment for care provided. This means we could ultimately turn unpaid bills over to a collection agency, which could affect the patient's credit status. Therefore, it is important to let us know if there is a problem paying a bill, or if there are any questions or concerns about paying a bill.

For more information, please contact a Financial Aid Counselor at the hospital's Cashier Office, or ask to speak with a CHAP counselor. CHAP is the Community Healthcare Access Program for low-income, uninsured persons that is sponsored by the Delaware Health Care Commission. All information provided to Beebe Medical Center is considered confidential.