(July 5, 2023, Marietta, Ohio) – Memorial Health System has partnered with healthcare technology company Breez Health to streamline its financial assistance program for income-eligible patients. With a new, simplified online application process, Memorial Health System patients can easily determine if they are eligible for discounts or free care.
“Serving all members of the community, regardless of their ability to pay, is central to our mission,” says Scott Cantley, president and CEO of Memorial Health System. “By making sure our financial assistance program is straightforward and easy to access, we hope to remove cost as a barrier to care and improve the health of our community.”
Patients can now see if they qualify and apply for financial assistance at Memorial Health System by visiting mhsystem.org/myfa.app.
Patients with an income up to 200% of the local poverty line — which equates to an annual income of $60,000 for a family of four — may qualify for free care or and patients with an income up to 400% of the local poverty line or $120,000 annually may qualify for discounted care of 75% or more.
“Medical debt destroys lives and communities,” says Cantley. “Our new simplified and fully online financial assistance program is designed to prevent patients from incurring medical debt, which is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.”
Breez Health is a technology and consulting company that simplifies patient-facing and internal financial assistance, or “charity care” processes, empowering hospitals to drive affordability of care to vulnerable members of their communities.
“Memorial Health System is a key component of the healthcare system in Ohio,” says Breez CEO Nick McLaughlin. “By removing red tape from financial assistance programs, I am thrilled that Breez is able to help Memorial Health System deliver on this promise and strengthen its connection to the local community.”
The Affordable Care Act mandates that nonprofit hospitals offer income-based financial assistance programs, but does not specify eligibility criteria or an application process for these programs. Breez brings these “charity care” programs online and simplifies the process to improve patient access and decrease administrative burden.
“Most people don’t realize how high their household income can be without disqualifying them from financial assistance at their local nonprofit hospital,” says McLaughlin. “Eligibility for these programs extends well into the middle class.”
Breez is part of Goodroot, a community of companies reinventing healthcare one system at a time. Dedicated to increasing access and affordability of care, Breez supports hospitals and health systems across the U.S.
About Memorial Health System
Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit regional health system led by a volunteer board of community members. We are committed to providing healthcare services that meet the needs of our region with expertise, compassion, and convenient access. We offer a network of locations and specialties provided by over 3,000 valued team members, including three hospitals, outpatient service sites, provider clinics, and a virtual urgent care app – MemorialCareNow. With us you can expect more when it comes to quality care and service with a focus on medical education and community service, while being fully invested in the most advanced technologies and treatments.
About Breez Health
Breez Health’s mission is to make financial assistance easy and accessible at every nonprofit hospital in America. With deep industry knowledge, Breez acts as a strategic advisor to hospitals, helping them design and implement better financial assistance programs and providing consulting, technology and support services to ensure ongoing success for both patients and hospitals. www.BreezHealth.com
