Sutter Health Expands Financial Assistance and Charity Care Policies

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The not-for-profit Sutter Health network enhanced its policies to provide income-based charity care, and other forms of financial assistance including discounts to qualified patients.

Sutter Health hospitals offer low-income patients, insured patients with high medical costs and uninsured patients access to financial support including, but not limited to:

• Full charity care to uninsured patients earning 400 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG), which for an individual equals $47,080, and for a family of four equals $97,000.
• A write-off of the patient's financial responsibility for hospital services if the insured patient earns 400 percent or less of the FPIG and their medical expenses exceed 10 percent of family income over the past 12 months.
• Payment plans with no interest charges to all patients.

Patients or community members interested in learning more about the expanded financial assistance and charity care policies may visit http://www.sutterhealth.org/communitybenefit/financial-assistance.html. The policies are available in more than 20 languages. Patients also may call 1-855-398-1633 or send a request to P. O. Box 619010, Roseville, CA  95661-9998, Attn: Charity Care Application.

Sutter Health has invested nearly $4 billion over the past five years to provide care for patients who couldn't afford to pay and support community health programs. In addition to charity care, Sutter Health's community benefit investment includes partnerships with community health centers to increase access to primary care and key social services, and meals for the hungry.

Sutter Health helps hold the line on healthcare price increases and makes services more affordable by improving care coordination; helping chronically ill patients avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital stays through our specialized Advanced Illness Management program; standardizing processes and streamlining business functions; and offering our Sutter Health Plus health plan, which was created to help employers and consumers efficiently manage their total health needs.

About Sutter HealthServing patients and their families in more than 100 Northern California cities and towns, Sutter Health doctors, not-for-profit hospitals and other healthcare service providers share resources and expertise to advance health care quality and access. The Sutter Medical Network includes many of California's top-performing, highest-quality physician organizations as measured annually by the Integrated Healthcare Association. Sutter-affiliated hospitals are regional leaders in cardiac care, women's and children's services, cancer care, orthopedics and advanced patient-safety technology. For more information about the not-for-profit Sutter Health network visit: sutterhealth.org | facebook.com/sutterhealth | youtube.com/sutterhealth | twitter.com/sutterhealth

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SOURCE Sutter Health