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Lifting a
Heavy Burden Guiding Principle: Ministry Identity Being sick is stressful enough without also having to worry about how to pay looming medical bills. At Provena Health, financial counselors across our organization are dedicated to helping patients find the financial assistance they need, whether that be through applying for State funds or obtaining assistance directly from our ministries. For our patients and their families, this can provide a world of relief, allowing them to focus all their energy on getting better. Daniel Henry’s experience is one such example. He was in and out of Provena Saint Joseph Hospital (PSJH) in Elgin five times in the course of five months due to complications from diabetes and pneumonia. At the beginning of his medical care, Daniel was employed full-time with medical insurance. Unfortunately, while he was ill, his company dissolved and his health insurance ran out on the same day he had surgery.
In conjunction with our Medicaid application provider, the financial counselors helped Henry through the paperwork to apply for ICHIP (Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan) and Medicaid. “It reduced our stress level at a time when my brother seemed to not be getting any better,” she says. “We were very concerned about how we were going to pay – getting this financial assistance lifted a very heavy burden for the both of us.” Jacqueline Alvarado, Financial Counselor at PSJH shares, “Our financial assistance counselors are a stepping stone when unexpected situations arise, and families can get the help they need.” Henry worked primarily with Alvarado, and says that working with the financial counselors was a pleasant experience. “At one point, I walked into Jackie’s office and she said ‘hello, friend.’ I’ll never forget how that made me feel about the hospital.”
To ensure access is available for all patients, many financial assistance counselors are bilingual. Additionally, the hospital works with physicians and other staff to inform them on the financial assistance policy, so they know when and where to direct patients and family members in need. “Being good stewards of our resources ensures we have the ability to financially assist as many patients as we can,” says Eleanor Michalek, System Director of Patient Access for Provena Health. “Sometimes that means identifying patients that do have insurance coverage, or helping others to qualify for state funds, so that when all else fails, we have the funds available to provide financial assistance when it is needed.” For Stephen Foehringer, a self-employed local artist from the Elgin area, that commitment was reassuring. He was a heart patient who would inevitably need future follow-up care. Because he had no medical insurance and no way to pay, he didn’t want to receive treatment for his condition. But PSJH financial counselors stepped in to help. When his application for public aid fell through because he did not fall within the State’s criteria, the hospital reviewed his case. They qualified him for 100 percent coverage, which meant over $30,000 worth of financial assistance. “When I found out, I couldn’t believe it,” Foehringer says. “Up until that point, the stress of how to pay my medical bills was weighing on my mind, which wasn’t helping me heal. When I found out I was covered, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I went home and called my whole family to let them know – they couldn’t believe it either.” Alvarado says reactions like Foehringer’s aren’t unusual for those the financial counselors are able to help. “Our patients and their family members are so grateful for the services we provide – many are so overwhelmed, they are moved to tears,” she says. “They have the security of knowing that Provena won’t reject them. We’re here to offer care and healing, and we achieve our goals day-by-day by keeping in mind what our mission is all about – serving our patients.”
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Between Daniel’s illness and the mounting medical bills, his family didn’t
know what to do or where to turn. “You can’t imagine our relief when the
hospital suggested financial assistance as an option,” his sister, Diane Henry,
explains. “I can never thank them enough for their help, and their
professionalism and kindness in helping me help my brother – it is so
appreciated.”
Regardless of where the assistance comes from, the financial counselors do
everything they can to help patients and their families go through the processes
step-by-step. The counselors work as a team to find the best solutions. Usually,
that starts with help in filling out forms to apply for State-funded assistance,
but counselors also assist with applications for financial assistance directly
from the hospital.