Indiana Clinic Lets Patients Work Off Bills
Stephany Celis and her son Bradon Alexander - Stephany Celis, new mom to son Bradon Alexander, used the More Than Money program to help pay for prenatal care. (Michael Linville for NPR)
A low-cost health care clinic in Goshen, Ind., has come up with a business plan that allows patients to pay for treatment with something other than money. At the Maple City Health Care Center, patients can help pay off their medical bills by performing community service.
Last fall, when the unemployment rate in Elkhart County, Indiana, topped 10 percent, clinic workers began noticing that patients weren't showing up for appointments. Turns out they couldn't even come up with a few bucks for an office visit.
So James Gingrich, the clinic's medical director, decided to tap his patients' skills and resources instead. The clinic began offering $10 an hour toward health care if a patient volunteered at another non-profit organization.
(Michael Linville for NPR)
Stephany Celis, new mom to son Bradon Alexander, wondered how, without health insurance, she would pay for her prenatal care seven months ago. That's when she heard about the clinic's More Than Money program.
Celis volunteered at a low-cost health care agency to pay for all of her prenatal care.
"If I have a chance to go back in the future, I probably will," Celis says.
Just down the street from the clinic, 35-year-old Maria Arellano is volunteering by restocking locally grown organic apples in the produce section at a co-op. She says the More than Money program has been a lifeline.
"This program is really helpful to me because it allows me to pay for my diabetic care. And since my husband was laid off, and we don't really have any income, it really helps me to continue to get the care that I need," Arellano says through an interpreter.
And Arellano is not the only one thankful for the help. Co-op general manager Richard Elmore says that in addition to the work the volunteers do, they also provide another benefit.
"Since most of the volunteers that we get from Maple City Health Care Center are Latino, that helps add diversity to our store," Elmore says.
To date Arellano, Celis and about 33 other More Than Money participants have logged about 350 hours of community service.
Anita Monoian, who heads the National Association of Community Health Centers, says while most clinics try to help those struggling to pay their bills, Maple City's approach stands out.
"Most of the community health centers I know do some sort of trade or work program if the patients are interested in doing that, but I'm not aware of anybody else doing anything that structured," Monoian says.
Monoian says community health centers promise that no patient will be turned away because they can't pay. Still, she says the best thing about this program is that it helps both those receiving the assistance and those volunteering.
And Maple City Health Care Center patients can sleep easy, knowing they'll continue to get the treatment they need, no matter how they pay for it.
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STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Now let's stick our heads in the door of a health care clinic for low income people in Goshen, Indiana. Fees at this clinic are modest, but many customers still can't pay their medical bills because so many are out of work. The clinic has come up with a way to help patients to pay for treatment, even if they don't have cash.
From member station WVPE in Elkhart, Michael Linville reports.
MICHAEL LINVILLE: On a cool fall afternoon, 16-year-old Stephany Celis cradles her four-day-old son in her lap as she sits in an examination room at the Maple City Health Care Center. This is Bradon Alexander's first visit to the doctor's office, and Stephany's being reassured by a nurse practitioner while anxiously awaiting a midwife.
Unidentified Woman: When Bev comes in, she will definitely check his color�
LINVILLE: Like any new parent, Stephany has lots of questions these days, though she admits she was more worried seven months ago when she wondered not only how she was going to tell her parents she was pregnant, but how without health insurance she'd pay for her prenatal care. That's when she heard about the Maple City's More Than Money program. It lets patients pay for health care without spending any actual money.
Last fall, when Elkhart County's unemployment rate topped 10 percent, the clinic began noticing that patients weren't showing up for appointments because they couldn't even come up with a few bucks for an office visit. So founder James Gingrich decided to tap his patients' skills instead.
Mr. JAMES GINGRICH (Founder, More Than Money program): If instead of seeing all these people without jobs as being a problem - joblessness. If instead we see the resource, which is they have time now, and these people do have gifts that they can contribute. And so one of the things we want to do is say, so how do we bless that?
LINVILLE: The clinic began offering $10 an hour toward health care if a patient volunteered at another nonprofit organization. Just down the street from the clinic, 35-year-old Maria Arellano is volunteering by restocking locally grown organic apples in the produce section at a co-op. She says the More Than Money program has been a lifeline.
Ms. MARIA ARELLANO (Volunteer, Maple City Market): (Through translator) This program is really helpful to me because it allows me to pay for my diabetic care. And since my husband was laid off and we don't really have any income, it really helps me to continue to get the care that I need.
LINVILLE: And Maria's not the only one thankful for the help. Co-op general manager Richard Elmore says that in addition to the work the volunteers do, they also provide another benefit.
Mr. RICHARD ELMORE (General Manager, Maple City Market): What these volunteers have done for us is they help us stock. They do a lot of cleaning. And since most of the volunteers that we get from Maple City Health Care Center are Latino, that adds diversity to our store.
LINVILLE: To date Maria, Stephany and about 33 other More Than Money participants have logged about 350 hours of community service.
Anita Monoian heads the National Association of Community Health Centers. She says while most clinics try to help those struggling to pay their bills, Maple City's approach is unique.
Ms. ANITA MONOIAN (Board Chair-Elect, National Association of Community Health Centers): Most of the community health centers I know do do some sort of trade or work program if the patients are interested in doing that, but I'm not aware of anybody else who's doing anything that structured.
LINVILLE: Monoian says community health centers promise no patient will be turned away because they can't pay. Still, she says the best thing about this program is it helps both those receiving the assistance and those volunteering.
New mom Stephany Celis volunteered at a low-cost health care agency to pay for all of her prenatal care, and she agrees.
Ms. STEPHANY CELIS: If I have a chance to go back in the future, I probably will, just to help out. It doesn't matter that I don't have anything else to pay. It's just to help out.
LINVILLE: And Maple City Health Care Center patients can sleep easy, knowing they'll continue to get the treatment they need, no matter how they pay for it.
For NPR News, I'm Michael Linville. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
