Sutter North Medical Foundation is committed to providing compassionate, excellent health care to the residents of Yuba-Sutter, which is why they have broadened the guidelines for individuals seeking financial assistance for medical services. Individuals and families whose household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level now qualify for Sutter North’s Charity Care Policy. Until recently, Charity Care at Sutter North offered assistance to those at or below 200% of the poverty level.
This means, for example, a family of 4 with a $60,000 household income can have their medical bills paid by Sutter North’s Charity Care fund if they are not covered by insurance and received services from a Sutter North provider. Previously, that same family would have to make less than $40,000 a year in order to qualify.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a family of 4 is considered below the poverty level if they make $20,000 annually.
Sutter North's Charity Care policy provides fair discounts and catastrophic protection to low income, uninsured patients and ensures consistent and fair collection practices while preserving the financial
viability that is key to preserving and growing health care services in the Yuba-Sutter community. In recent years, the affiliates of Sutter Health have made great strides in better serving our communities by working together to bring greater and more thoughtful consistency to patient charity care and payment collection practices.
The Sutter Health Charity Care Program is designed to:
• Provide full charity care to low income uninsured patients earning less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG).
• Provide catastrophic protection to low income uninsured patients by limiting their payment liability to 30% of their annual household income.
• Enhance communication of available assistance by expanding communication channels.
The Sutter North Medical Foundation charity care policy is limited to services provided by SNMF physicians or services rendered in a SNMF facility. For more detailed information on Sutter North’s Charity Care Policy or to receive answers to your questions, please contact Patient Financial Services Department at 530-749-3562.
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