North Adams Regional Hospital and Ecu-Health Care - Voluntary Physician Program & Uncompensated Care Program

What is it?

Ecu-Health Care and North Adams Regional Hospital formed a partnership to help patients receive affordable care. Community health workers from Ecu-Health Care meet with patients on the North Adams Regional Hospital campus to discuss barriers that may prevent them from receiving health care services, and assist patients in enrolling in public assistance programs. Individuals who do not qualify for public health assistance programs may be enrolled in Ecu-Health Care’s voluntary physician program and/or referred to North Adams Regional Hospital’s uncompensated care program.

Ecu-Health Care’s voluntary physician program is a partnership where all physicians in the North Berkshire area of the county agree to treat low-income residents at a significantly reduced fee. Once enrolled in the program, patients may visit their primary care physician for a fee ranging from $2 to $25 per visit, and visit a specialist with fees reduced by as much as 95 percent. In addition, Ecu-Health Care offers patient assistance in applying for free medication programs.

Who is it for?

The Voluntary Physician Program is available for uninsured patients with an income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). North Adams Regional Hospital provides charity care to uninsured patients who do not qualify for other public assistance programs. Patients with income up to 200 percent of the FPL receive free hospital care, while patients with income between 200 percent and 400 percent of the FPL receive a discount on a sliding scale basis. North Adams Regional Hospital’s financial counselors also assist patients who do not meet the income requirements but may need an extended payment plan to pay their bills.

Why do they do it?

The partnership between North Adams Regional Hospital and Ecu-Health Care was created due to a high percentage of uninsured individuals in the North Berkshire County combined with changes in eligibility to the state’s Medicaid program.

Impact

Ecu-Health Care has made a significant impact on our area. We have expanded programming, building on our original volunteer physician program. Ecu-Health Care now does the financial counseling for all of their patients at North Adams Regional Hospital. We have also become the primary outreach and enrollment site for all Massachusetts public health insurance programs, including MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, and all of the expanded programs under the 2006 landmark health reform law. We also provide SHINE (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) for area Medicare beneficiaries.

Ecu-Health Care enrolls approximately 6 out of every 10 individuals in MassHealth. Overall, from August 1995 to January 2012, Ecu-Health Care served more than 19,000 area residents, including helping to provide more than $1,300,000 in health care treatment to 3,473 area residents through the Voluntary Physician Program. The program has increased patient access to care and enabled North Adams Regional Hospital, its physicians, and other providers to better meet the health care needs of the community.

Contact: Charles Joffe-Halpern, MSW
Executive Director
Telephone: 413-663-8711
E-mail: cjoffehalpern@nbhealth.org