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ELKINS -- Davis Health System will be offering a new program that can help consumers in a number of ways.
Providing Affordable Care for Everyone (PACE), a program recently introduced at DHS, can assist patients by providing cost estimates, payment plans, financial counseling and patient loan/financing plans.
Tracy Fath, DHS vice president of marketing and planning, spoke with the Rotary Club of Elkins on Monday about the benefits and goals of this new program.
"We got some groups together within the hospital and said, 'Look, we are a community hospital. It is our purpose to serve our community -- not just the Elkins community because we serve five counties. How can we do this by looking at affordability? Because everybody deserves the opportunity to have health services they need without having the concern of how they are going to pay,'" Fath said.
To be most helpful to patients, PACE can assist individuals who do not have insurance, help individuals understand their insurance if they are insured, help people to understand their out-of-pocket expenses, design payment options to best fit their needs and even apply for low cost or free medical services.
"What we know is that sometimes when we forgo or delay an important health test, then your problem becomes more complex and more expensive, so we're trying to find people who are suitable for these programs," Fath said. "We don't want affordability to be a bridge, obstacle or barrier."
Fath went on to explain that PACE will offer services including consolidation of multiple health care accounts into one payment plan, discount on health care services for self-pay patients, low cost and free medical services for those who qualify by meeting certain criteria, assistance in applying for the Children's Health Insurance Program and a number of other services.
"This is providing affordable care for everyone," Fath said. "Our emergency room -- if a patient comes in they're identified as having no insurance, we have on-site MASH representatives who work for the state programs -- Medicare and Medicaid -- they will come to the bedside of those patients and work with them to get them signed up for these programs so they can understand what they are eligible to receive."
Fath explained that counselors work one-on-one with patients to meet their needs.
For assistance or additional details, individuals may call 304-637-3125.