Has anybody ever been rated at a hosptial before?

Question

There is a hosptial here in cleveland called Metro health, its one of the biggest hospitals around here, and they offer a rating program where you go to a counselor and are rated a 1-5 for financial help, 5 covering about everything and 1 covering about 10 percent of your bills. I am going to make an appointment and hope to get a 5, I am unemployed and have been since last October. They didnt ask anything abou tmy husband and how much he makes or any of that just said for me to come in w/ my own papers, so im hoping they base this on just me. Has anyone else ever had this done? I really need my dental work done and they have an excellent dental facility there and i need some cavaties filed and i have beginging paradontal disease and they mouth just hurts alot so im praying this works. Thanks

anyone w/ any info

Sorry i didn't add this before, but my husband was rated alone a few weeks ago and was rated a 3. They asked nothing about me, he gave them his work papers and they rated him and he walked away w/ a card with a rating of 3. When i caled they said we can either file together or seperate , bc he could be making the money and not want to pay my bills, they look at all of that. Also they dont ask anything about assets or anythign liek that, we've been through them a few times and my mother in law was also rated a 4 and her husband made about 25000 a year which is over the poverty level by alot for 2 people.

Answer 1

I have seen this system before in several hospitals around the country. Metro Health calls it the "The MetroHealth Plan" and it is only for Cuyahoga County residents.

Usually the entire household income is considered and is calculated with consideration given to personal assets, any existing insurance, federal and state subsidy currently received, and, in some cases, the severity of current illnesses.

Generally, the benefits of such programs rarely extend to dental care, unless there is dental personnel on staff at the hospital, and when it does, dental coverage almost always differs. After checking, however, Metro Health in Cleveland houses the following dental staff:

- full and part time general dentists
- board-certified pediatric dentists
- a board-certified endodontist (root canal)
- a board-certified periodontist (gum surgery)
- a board-certified dental anesthesiologist
- hygienists
- certified dental assistants.

So this should be a non-issue for you as long as the procedures are medically necessary.

Also, I found some information on "The MetroHealth Plan" in the following document (on Metro Health's site):

http://www.metrohealth.org/documents/general/Policy%20V-9.pdf

(Pay particular attention to section IV, sub-section C, paragraphs 1 & 3)

The document says it covers 20-80% based on rating, however, so you might want to clerify this with hospital staff.

Hope this helps, and good luck to you.

Answer 2

They are going to ask about all household income. They will also ask about your assets. They are making an assessment of your financial need. Lots of hospitals and medical clinics have similar programs.

Answer 3

never hear of this done by a hospital -- another case if the rich helping the poor and not receiving any credit!!!