By Mason Curran
People without medical insurance may have access to medical assistance and services through a Utah County hotline.
Every second Saturday of the month, the Deseret News/Intermountain Health Care Heath Hotline discusses health-related topics from 10 a.m. to noon. This month, the hotline provided information about accessing medical services and public health programs for those without insurance.
Anita Hall, a member of the policy unit; Gayleen Henderson, policy expert; Elizabeth Heath, Salt Lake City program manager for eligibility services; and Terry Lange, director of reimbursement for IHC''s Utah County hospitals answered callers'' questions.
'We give information for them to act for themselves,' Lange said. 'If they need help, we try our best to help them.'
The experts explained different options individuals have for health care. Hall, Henderson and Heath, all from the Department of Health, focused on helping people understand if they qualify for medical assistance, and how to apply for public programs like Primary Care Network (PCN) and Children''s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Both programs are funded on the state and federal level.
PCN and CHIP provide health coverage for low income individuals and offer limited services such as emergency room visits, X-ray, ambulance travels and basic dental; however, they don''t cover inpatient hospital services or specialty services.
'There are avenues for people without medical insurance,' Lange said.
Different clinics in Utah Valley offer medical assistance to people on an ability to pay basis. People who are fluent in Spanish and other experts fluent in various language are available to those who can not speak English. Efforts are made to help anybody in any situation.
One clinic, Indigent Clinic located in the Utah County Office Building in Provo, sees people on Medicaid, Medicare and ability to pay basis, said Wendy Standifird, a licensed practical nurse at Indigent.
The hotline also provided medical advice.
'If you do not have insurance, do not go to the emergency room if it is not an immediate problem,' Lange said. 'It costs $176 plus the hospital bill.'
This isn''t the first time that these volunteers have participated in the hotline. Heath participated last year, and Lange has participated for the past five years.
'It feels good to help out once a year like this,' said Heath.
Each person received about 11-13 calls during the two-hour block, answering a variety of questions and giving general information on the topic. The hotline is toll free for the Intermountain Region and has volunteer experts to answer the questions. The health hotline number is 1-800-925-8177.