Not for Profit Health Agency
Essay title: Not for Profit Health Agency
Baylor Health Care System is a medical network that services seven counties in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolis. Baylor University Medical Center has a rich history which began with its founding as the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium in 1903. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Health Care System exists to serve all people through exemplary health care, education, research, and community service. As part of their mission, they strive to provide exemplary care to our communities at every opportunity from preventive medicine such as free health education classes and screenings to advanced treatment methods to fight incurable diseases. Their mission also includes providing care to those without health coverage or the means to pay. For more than 100 years, Baylor has operated as a not-for-profit system that uses all revenue over expenses to improve the health of the community through patient care, education, research and community service. In fiscal year 2005, Baylor Health Care System medical centers provided community benefits valued at an estimated cost of $314 million. Because of its historic mission of service, Baylor exceeds all state and federal legal requirements mandating the provision of community benefit by tax-exempt, not-for-profit health care organizations. Baylor’s community benefit expenditures in fiscal year 2006 reached a record $405.6 million.
Baylors commitment to physicians and other medical professionals is as strong today as it was in 1903 when Baylor was first established as Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium. Through the years, it has emphasized hard work, a personal approach to patient care, and dedication to medical research and the community. As Baylor Health Care System steps into the future, they continue to provide quality, innovative patient care and convenient, specialized facilities and services. Baylor Health Care System vision is to be trusted as the best place to give and receive safe, quality, compassionate health care.
One of the ways Baylor fulfills this mission is to provide financial assistance to those members of the community who are in need. Several different programs have been established for this purpose. Each of the programs has a unique set of criteria which must be met in order to qualify for financial assistance. The patient is responsible for seeking the appropriate advice from third parties to assist them in making the correct decisions when applying for these programs. Please remember that it is the patients ultimate responsibility to apply, and provide the necessary information to qualify for the program. Baylor cannot ensure that the patient will qualify for such programs. To help their patients through the qualification process, Baylor has created a team of financial counselors to evaluate whether or not a patient meets the criteria for one or more programs:
Option 1: Government Sponsored and Community Based Assistance
There are a number of available programs from the Federal, State and Local levels such as Medicaid which can help pay the medical bills of people who have low income and cannot afford medical care. Often, patients are unaware of these programs or are unable to access them due to the cumbersome enrollment process required to receive these benefits.
Option 2: Charity Care
Baylor provides financial assistance in the form of charity care to patients. Charity care assistance is based on a patients yearly income level, household members, and the amount of medical bills
Option 3: Uninsured Patient Discount
Baylor offers an uninsured patient discount to patients who: 1) are uninsured or are insured but have non-covered services, and 2) do not receive charity care financial assistance.
For a century, Baylor has kept community service at the core of its mission and values. Their commitment to the community means reaching out to people throughout North Texas. Over the years, Baylor Health Care System has invested increasing time, talent, and financial resources in “community benefit” programs aimed at getting people healthy and helping