Healthcare Financial Assistance (“HFA”) is a program that is fully funded by Summa Health System. It covers patients without health insurance and those with only partial insurance coverage (i.e. the uninsured and underinsured) who meet the income and other eligibility criteria described herein.

Financial Assistance Program

Summa Health System recognizes the difficulty unexpected medical problems can cause to your finances. We are here to help so that patients can obtain medical benefits from federal, state and hospital programs. We want to assist you in finding resources that may help pay your hospital bill. In fact, every patient who does not have insurance is eligible for discounts.

Financial Help for Patients and Their Families

We provide financial assistance to uninsured and underinsured patients through our Patient Financial Counselors. This is a free referral service provided by Summa Health System. We are here to assist patients in obtaining medical benefits through federal, state and hospital programs. If you cannot afford to pay for some or all of your hospital bill today, Summa Health System will:

• Tell you where and how you may get assistance to pay your hospital bills.
• Assist you in finding programs for which you qualify.
• Sign you up for state and/or hospital programs that match your need.

Based on how much you earn, you may qualify for:

• Free care
• Discounts
• No-interest payment terms

Patients and their counselors look at what options are available. We understand that not everyone can pay for healthcare services. We are here to offer options and assistance for those who are uninsured or underinsured and to serve as patient advocates.

Annual Federal Poverty Guidelines

If a patient does not meet the criteria for the federal assistance programs available, Summa Health System will provide a discount to the patient using a sliding scale based on Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Federal Poverty guidelines go into effect each year on the date they were published in the Federal Register. Eligibility for any date of service on or after that date should be judged by the new guidelines. Dates of service prior to that date should be judged by the old guidelines. Click here to view current and previous years' guidelines as published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

• We offer free care for any person who earns up to twice the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• We offer substantially-discounted care for any person who earns up to four times the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• We offer discounts like those we agree to with commercial payors for patients earning more than four times the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Summa Health System treats all patients with compassion, dignity and respect from the bedside to the billing office.

Application forms are made available in Pre-Registration, Admission / Registration, and several alternative registration sites to facilitate early identification and initiation of the application process. If you need assistance in completing the form, have questions, or would like to speak directly with a patient representative, please call one of our financial counselors. We're here to help. If you have questions about your ability to pay or about available programs, please call. We work with each patient to help meet individual needs and circumstances.

Basis for Calculating Amounts Charged to Patients:

At least annually, Summa Health System calculates an AGB percentage based on the Look-back Method (as defined by Treasury Regulations under section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended).

Summa Health System used a look-back method based on claims allowed by Medicare fee-for-service during a 12-month period.

A patient eligible for financial assistance will not be charged more for emergency or other medically necessary care than the amount generally billed (AGB). Eligible patients with insurance coverage will not be personally responsible to pay more than AGB after all payments by the health insurer have been applied.

Summa Health System does not bill or expect payment of gross charges from individuals who qualify for financial assistance under this policy.

Measures to Widely Publicize the HFA Policy:

• Summa Health System makes this HFA policy, application form, and plain language summary of the policy widely available on its website, and implements additional measures to widely publicize the policy in communities served.
  • Website www.summahealth.org/financialassistance
  • Signage in all registration areas.
  • Statement of Financial Assistance Program on each patient statement
  • Financial Assistance Programs referenced in each personal contact phone call.
  • Summa Health System also accommodates significant presenting populations (greater than 1000) within our community that have limited English proficiency by translating this HFA policy, all related billing and collection policies, the application form, and plain language summary of the policy into the primary language(s) spoken by such populations.

• Billing and Collections Policy

Financial Counselors

Financial counselors are available to answer your questions about Summa Health System’s Financial Assistance Program, payment arrangements, insurance coverage, Medicare and other financial inquiries.

For more information about financial counseling and assistance, please call:

• Summa Health System - Akron Campus (330) 375-6685
• Summa Health System - Barberton Campus (330) 615-3236

You may also call our customer service department to request an application.

Patient Account Services

Contact Summa Patient Account Services at 330.278.0160.

Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Effective Date: 10/04/2015
Reviewed: 01/13/06,05/18/07, 02/18/10, 05/04/11, 1/26/16, 1/17/2017, 1/31/2017, 1/23/18, 3/27/18