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Punxsutawney Area Hospital - Amish Outreach Program
Punxsutawney Area Hospital’s Amish Outreach Program is a part of its charity care and financial assistance program. The majority of the hospital’s Amish customers do not accept charity care and want to pay for the services they receive, but they realize that health care costs are too high for them to afford if paying the hospital’s billed rate. In order to meet the Amish customers’ desire to pay without accepting charity care, the hospital utilizes its cost-accounting system to determine what the approximate direct cost of care (excluding overhead and other non-direct costs) is for each procedure or service, and marks up the cost between five and ten percent. Amish customers are encouraged to pay the heavily discounted bill within 30 to 60 days. The agreement ensures that the hospital receives payment to cover its direct costs in a timely manner, and the Amish pay a fee that they believe is reasonable for the services they receive. Because of the hospital’s small size, the cost per unit for specialized care can be high. In those cases, such as delivering a baby, the hospital discounts the fee to below its actual cost.
What is it?
Punxsutawney Area Hospital’s Amish Outreach Program is a part of its charity care and financial assistance program. The majority of the hospital’s Amish customers do not accept charity care and want to pay for the services they receive, but they realize that health care costs are too high for them to afford if paying the hospital’s billed rate. In order to meet the Amish customers’ desire to pay without accepting charity care, the hospital utilizes its cost-accounting system to determine what the approximate direct cost of care (excluding overhead and other non-direct costs) is for each procedure or service, and marks up the cost between five and ten percent. Amish customers are encouraged to pay the heavily discounted bill within 30 to 60 days. The agreement ensures that the hospital receives payment to cover its direct costs in a timely manner, and the Amish pay a fee that they believe is reasonable for the services they receive. Because of the hospital’s small size, the cost per unit for specialized care can be high. In those cases, such as delivering a baby, the hospital discounts the fee to below its actual cost.
Who is it for?
The program is designed for Amish customers in the Punxsutawney area, because they will not apply for federal assistance nor will they accept charity care from the hospital. Punxsutawney Area Hospital assists all uninsured customers in applying for Medicaid, other public assistance programs and the hospital’s charity care program. All self-pay customers that do not wish to take advantage of or do not qualify for public assistance or charity care may pay the hospital at the same discounted rate.
Why do they do it?
The Amish community serves as their own health insurance network, meaning that all Amish customers are self-pay.
Impact
This program meets Amish customer needs by allowing them to receive and pay for health care services out-of-pocket, and feel comfortable that they can access the services they need at a fair price.
Contact: Jack Sisk
Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: 814-938-1882
E-mail: jsisk@pah.org
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