ADDISON, TX, December 03, 2008
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Concentra, one of the nation's leading health care companies, launched a new pilot program for self-pay patients. Concentra's new Posted-Pricing program uses clear and up-front pricing of medical services to improve patients' expectations, and enhance the accessibility and availability of quality health care.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, currently 46 million Americans and 6 million Texans - approximately 25 percent of all Texas adults and 45 percent of Hispanic households - are without any health insurance. Posted-Pricing is being piloted at all 11 Concentra Medical Centers in Houston, a metropolitan area with more than 900,000 residents who do not have health insurance. Concentra's Posted-Pricing conveniently displays the price of urgent care services at the front desk, setting the expectation of the price of a medical visit. This new program simplifies the cost of health care services by categorizing services into one of three tiers, as determined by a licensed medical provider. The three categories are 1) a basic physician visit, 2) an intermediate visit requiring an x-ray or lab work, or 3) an advanced visit that requires a special procedure such as bracing a fracture or suturing a wound. Any additional testing needed would be charged at a discounted rate of 20 percent and may impact the final cost of the visit.
"One of the greatest challenges for uninsured patients is not knowing the price of basic medical care," said Bill Lewis, M.D., Senior Vice President of Medical Operations for Concentra. "When patients are unaware of the cost of medical care and procedures, they sometimes forego treatment completely, allowing conditions to advance to an emergency situation. Our hope is that by making health care affordable with pricing that is definitive and straightforward to our patients, it will encourage those without health insurance to get they care they need and deserve."
Under Concentra's Posted-Pricing a basic physician visit is only $85, making urgent care affordable for many working American families. And unlike hospital emergency departments, which sometimes send bills from multiple providers weeks after a patient's visit, Concentra's Posted-Pricing initiative eliminates these kind of 'surprises' in medical billing.
Concentra plans to implement Posted-Pricing in all of its 323 medical center locations across the country throughout 2009. Posted-Pricing is not a replacement or alternative to health insurance coverage but can help financially responsible consumers cope with the rising cost of health care. Posted-Pricing at Concentra Urgent Care medical centers is for self-pay patients only, and does not apply to occupational medicine services - which are billed to and paid for by employers.
Concentra Urgent Care provides treatment for a wide range of minor injuries and illnesses, including skin infections, broken bones, seasonal allergies, and many other conditions, as well as wellness services such as immunizations, physicals, and vaccinations. Concentra participates in many insurance plans and for in-network patients urgent care visits are usually the cost of a co-payment. With locations throughout the nation, many with weekend and extended evening hours, Concentra delivers the care you need, when you need it most. For more information, a complete list of services, and Concentra Urgent Care locations, visit http://www.ConcentraUrgentCare.com.
About Concentra
Concentra is a leading health care company focused on improving America's health, one patient at a time. Through its affiliated clinicians, the company provides occupational medicine, urgent care, physical therapy, and wellness services to workers and the general public at 321 medical centers in 40 states. In addition to these medical center locations, Concentra serves employers by providing a broad range of health advisory services and operating 258 on-site medical facilities. Through this complement of services, Concentra intends to raise the standard of health by putting individuals first, treating them with clinical excellence, and focusing on their ongoing wellness. http://www.Concentra.com | http://www.ConcentraUrgentCare.com
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