Newton, KS — NMC Health 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, NMC Health patients can easily determine if they may be eligible for discounted care.
“Serving all members of the community, regardless of their ability to pay, is central to our mission,” says Val Gleason, president and CEO of NMC Health. “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 NMC Health by visiting the financial assistance portal.
Patients with a household income up to 275% of the local poverty line may qualify for financial assistance covering up to 100% of their medical costs after copays. This assistance is available at all NMC Health locations including: NMC Health Medical Center in Newton; Family Medicine locations in Hesston, Park City, Valley Center and Wichita; Immediate Care, Orthopedics & Sports Specialists, Neurology Specialists, and Surgery Specialists all in Newton.
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.
“NMC Health is a key component of the healthcare system in Kansas,” says Breez CEO Nick McLaughlin. “By removing red tape from financial assistance programs, I am thrilled that Breez is able to help NMC Health 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 NMC Health
NMC Health is an award-winning medical care system focused on improving health throughout Newton, Kan., Harvey, Sedgwick and surrounding counties. Featuring a 99-bed hospital located at the intersection of I-135 and Highway 50, and 9 primary care and specialty clinics, NMC Health’s services and specialties include emergency medicine, surgical services, rehabilitation, occupational medicine, home health and more. For more information, call 316-283-2700 or visit mynmchealth.org.
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
