Supreme Court Upholds PPACA: Altus Helps Patients Keep Cash In Their Banks Via PPACA Discount

Pearland, TX (PRWEB) June 29, 2012

After the Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) yesterday, Altus Health Care Management Services (Altus) announced a new, permanent PPACA Compliance Initiative with a PPACA Discount that includes total billing and collection disclosures for all out-of-network care. All patients are protected from any unexpected medical bills. This new PPACA discount is similar to (and even better than) PPO discounts, as it protects all patients whether they are in-network or out-of-network with their health plan. Through this PPACA discount, the approximately 77% of insured Americans who paid for out-of-network health coverage can now truly receive first-class, out-of-network care and avoid financial hardship (approximately 62 percent of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical bills).

The PPACA, also known as the Patient’s Bill of Rights, now defines a claimant to include an out-of-network provider. The Altus PPACA policy (already in place for a year) was designed to advocate for a patient’s freedom of choice of providers and medically appropriate healthcare by appealing all improperly denied or delayed claims under both the PPACA and ERISA statutes. Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision will make the Altus PPACA policy permanent.

Altus also announced plans for PPACA Compliance Town Hall meetings for all greater Houston physicians to assess and discuss the PPACA and learn how it can enable them to serve as patient advocates. While many have touted the decision as the most significant health care law in the past 50 years, healthcare providers may not have realized the true benefits of and protections within the PPACA. Over the next three months, PPACA Compliance Town Hall meetings will be held at Altus locations in Houston, Baytown, Pearland and Beaumont. Information about these meetings will be posted on the Altus website at http://www.AltusHMS.com.

Effective June 28, 2012, as an update to its long-standing disclosure practice, when a patient seeks care at an Altus surgical center or facility, Altus will disclose its:

   •      PPACA discount policy
   •     An estimated charge for each service
   •     An estimated charge for all services
   •     Network participation status
   •     Billing and collection policies
   •     Referring provider affiliation and remuneration arrangement, if any
   •     PPACA/ERISA appeal assistance
   •     Guaranteed Patient Satisfaction (GPS) statement for total disclosure and transparency.

In short, patients are protected from unexpected medical bills.

“The Supreme Court’s PPACA decision today will provide timely protection for all patients, but especially those 77% of insured Americans who paid for out-of-network coverage but are unable to truly obtain the best quality of care,” says Kraig Killough, Chief Operating Officer for Altus Healthcare Management Services. “They often can’t afford to pay high deductibles and co-insurance. It’s tragic that 62% of all personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills.”

As reported by an American Medical Association news report on June 26, 2012, according to Kaiser’s Health Security Report in June 2012: “Insured, High-Income Patients Delay Medical Care, Too: Even among people who make $90,000 or more per year, nearly 40% skipped or delayed care because of cost.”
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/25/bise0626.htm
http://www.kff.org/healthpollreport/CurrentEdition/security/upload/8322.pdf

According to CNN in 2009, “Medical bills prompt more than 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies”.
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-05/health/bankruptcy.medical.bills_1_medical-bills-bankruptcies-health-insurance?_s=PM:HEALTH

From Businessweek: “Harvard researchers say 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by health problems—and 78% of those filers had insurance” http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db2009064_666715.htm

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in August 2011, about 77% of insured Americans purchased out-of-network coverage under private industry benefit plans (DOL, BLS, NBS 2010, page 11 of 167) http://stats.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/detailedprovisions/2010/ebbl0047.pdf

While economic challenges facing the country continue, the Supreme Court has decided the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many provisions of the ACA are designed to improve access and affordability to health care and health insurance. Altus is leading the nation with its PPACA Discount solutions under HHS and OIG Guidance (http://archive.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040219.html). Altus helps patients keep cash in their banks with its PPACA Discount and this new PPACA Program protects patients with first-class, quality care without bankruptcies.

Located in Pearland, Texas, Altus Health Care Management Services is an exclusive network of vested, forward-thinking physicians who have united to form an impressive consortium of aptitudes with unmatched healthcare quality, safety, affordability and patient satisfaction in various medical modalities. Its mission is to provide the highest quality patient care at the most affordable cost. Altus-affiliated physicians strive to achieve effective clinical outcomes in meeting the patient’s individual healthcare needs and are fully dedicated to patient protection and advocacy.

Patients are protected from unexpected medical costs and bills at all Altus HMS affiliated entities through its unique patient protection and physician affiliation programs offering Guaranteed Patient Satisfaction (GPS). Its affiliated physicians are considered leaders in healthcare with excellent reputations in their respective specialties. More and more physicians and surgeons have joined with Altus to experience great clinical and financial success as a result of their dedication to always treating the patient’s best interest as their own best interest.

To find out more about Altus Healthcare Management Services, visit http://www.AltusHMS.com

To arrange an interview, please contact Dawn Brown at 832-230-8602.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/6/prweb9659612.htm