Billing Policies > Financial Assistance Program
Financial Assistance Program
Covenant Health System affirms its commitment to serve its communities with an emphasis of providing optimal health care services and programs by dedicating our efforts to aid all persons regardless of their age, sex, race, creed, disability, national origin or financial status.
Financial Assistance is defined as health care services provided at no charge or at a reduced charge to patients who do not have or cannot obtain adequate financial resources or other means to pay for their care. This is in contrast to a bad debt which is defined as a patient and/or guarantor who, having the requisite financial resources to pay for health care services, has demonstrated by their actions an unwillingness to comply with the contractual arrangements to resolve the bill.
Partial and full financial assistance will be based solely on ability to pay and will not be abridged on the basis of age, sex, race, creed, disability or national origin. Available health care services, inpatient or outpatient, shall be available to all individuals under this policy. The Health System may, however, refer an individual to alternative programs and/or where such referrals do not place an undue burden on the patient or family. The Health System will also actively assist an individual in pursuing alternative sources of payment from third parties. Those individuals or families, who qualify for alternative programs and services within the community, but refuse to take advantage of them, may not be covered under this policy.
