Our Policy:

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in accordance with established guidelines will provide emergency patient care services to patients without respect to the ability to pay, consistent with the federal regulations referred to as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

A patient or their guarantor who has the financial resources, both in terms of assets and current income, to pay the uninsured portion of their bill will be expected to meet that obligation.

For non-emergency services, patients or their guarantors who do not have an ability to pay for services that are not covered by insurance or government programs may complete an application for financial assistance which requires completion of a financial disclosure form.

Family income is a key consideration but not the exclusive factor used to determine eligibility for financial assistance. The Hospital uses the most recent federal poverty guidelines to evaluate income eligibility.  These guidelines vary based on family size.

On accepting non-emergency patients that require financial assistance, the hospital will consider the location of the patient’s primary care physician and healthcare services available in the patient’s residential locality.

If a request for financial assistance does not meet the established guidelines, a request for an exception may be submitted. Exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis after review and approval at the appropriate administrative level.

When the Hospital services provided relate to an incident involving a liability settlement, a separate policy is in place to determine the patient’s responsibility for payment.