Finding Solutions for Uninsured Families

Packard’s busy primary care outpatient clinic serves many low-income families who lack medical coverage and are unaware that they may qualify for Medi-Cal or other insurance programs. In 2006, Children’s Fund dollars supported the salary of a new insurance enrollment coordinator who began serving patients onsite in the clinic. Previously, Packard was able to provide the service only to inpatients. 

In just one year, the coordinator handled 320 patient cases, helping families identify government and other insurance programs they qualified for and assisting them in completing and submitting applications. Following this early success, the position has been absorbed into Packard’s patient financial services department, which makes arrangements for the Hospital to cover the cost of care for patients whose families would otherwise be unable to pay.

Efforts to enroll uninsured patients into insurance programs serves a dual purpose of helping families cover the financial liability for the treatment they’ve received and providing the Hospital with some reimbursement for the care provided, ensuring that the high quality care practiced at Packard Children’s remains available to all. ''This program says to our patients, ''We are here to help you,'' says David Haray, vice president of patient financial services.

Expanding insurance registration services to the Hospital’s many community outpatient clinics is just one example of how philanthropic support can help establish vital services at Packard Children’s. Thanks, in part, to early support from the Children’s Fund, the important work of the insurance registration team helps Packard stay true to its mission to treat any child in the community, regardless of a family’s resources.