Every health facility has a set “fee schedule” – a list of what we charge for every medical code on the books. We’re legally required to charge everyone the same fees, whether it’s insurance companies, Medicare, or patients paying out of pocket. We can offer discounts like the sliding fee scale, but there are few other exceptions.
It’s been a very long time since we updated our fee schedule. We’re very aware that many people’s budgets have been stretched thin in recent years; we’ve been reluctant to increase the burden for those who pay out of pocket or whose visits go towards their deductibles. However, it means that we’re undercharging private insurance and other outside payors that would otherwise reimburse us at higher rates.
Right now, due to the loss of much of our state funding, a growing number of patients losing health insurance and switching to our sliding fee scale, and quickly increasing fixed costs in recent years, we are operating at a large deficit. We are committed to continuing to meet our community’s needs, offering healthcare and support services to everyone in our area who needs it, regardless of ability to pay. To ensure we can do this for the long term, we are looking at every area we can to balance our budget. We have stepped up grantseeking and other fundraising, increased our ask to local towns for support, and are modernizing our coding so that we are maximizing care quality incentives from Medicare and insurance companies.
Along with these and other measures, we are updating our fees. Our fees are currently some of the lowest in the state, with many far lower than other local providers. Starting September 14, we will be increasing many of our fees incrementally. We will still be charging less than the local average in most cases, but we recognize that this may create difficulties for some patients paying out of pocket regardless.
You can reference our new fees for the most common codes here.
Most patients will not notice any difference, if you pay for your visits with a copay, are covered by Medicaid, or use our sliding fee scale. However, if you pay out of pocket or towards your deductible and the fee increases make it difficult for you to afford care, please reach out to our care coordinators. They can help you look at your options and your eligibility for our sliding fee scale and other programs. You can reach them by calling the front desk at (603) 447-8900 and asking for an appointment with Cheryl Frankowski or Erin White, or through the portal.
We have put off increasing our fees for many years, but it’s necessary now to ensure we can be here for everyone in our community who needs us for many years to come. We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that this change doesn’t prevent anyone from accessing the care they need.