Affordable Care Act
At InterFaith Health Clinic, we believe that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our resources. In fact, stewardship is one of the core values upon which we were founded and upon which we stand each day.
One aspect of good stewardship is taking government programs into account and adjusting our services accordingly. Over the past 25 years, InterFaith has existed to fill in the gaps in the health care system, and these gaps have certainly changed in the last quarter-century. As government programs like TennCare, Cover Tennessee, and now the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have come on the scene, InterFaith has maintained its commitment to provide the best health care possible for the underserved as long as the need exists. Although we are delighted in the strides being made to provide affordable health care options for the uninsured, the demand for InterFaith’s services still outpaces our current resources. We target patients who don’t qualify for any financial subsidies under the ACA, meaning that health insurance is still unaffordable for them. And with the state of Tennessee's decision not to expand Medicaid coverage, over 161,000 Tennesseans are in the coverage gap – ineligible for Medicaid and also ineligible for subsidies in the exchange because their incomes are below the poverty level. For these individuals, even an ACA-approved health insurance plan is still unaffordable. These are the individuals for whom InterFaith Health Clinic seeks to provide a medical home. By providing a medical home for those in the coverage gap, InterFaith helps preserve community resources and reduce health care costs by ensuring that treatment takes place in the most appropriate and cost effective setting while not sacrificing quality of care.
Nevertheless, InterFaith has made adjustments in light of the full implementation of the ACA. If an InterFaith patient chooses a health insurance plan through the ACA-mandated Exchange, the patient’s provider will work with him or her to find a new medical home that accepts the patient’s new health insurance plan. In the meantime, the patient can continue to receive necessary medical care at InterFaith, although the care cannot be billed to the patient’s insurance. If you are a patient that has health insurance under the affordable care act, we may under some circumstances still provide care for you, but the services we provide would not be reimbursable under your health insurance.
To make an appointment for a one-on-one discussion with an insurance counselor to find out your health insurance options, please contact Susan Tate at 865-546-7330 or state@interfaithhealthclinic.org . Or for local assistance in applying for a health insurance plan through the ACA Exchange, contact:
Knoxville Area Project Access
115 Suburban Rd.
Knoxville, TN 37923
(865) 531-2766
Or visit www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to learn more.
One aspect of good stewardship is taking government programs into account and adjusting our services accordingly. Over the past 25 years, InterFaith has existed to fill in the gaps in the health care system, and these gaps have certainly changed in the last quarter-century. As government programs like TennCare, Cover Tennessee, and now the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have come on the scene, InterFaith has maintained its commitment to provide the best health care possible for the underserved as long as the need exists. Although we are delighted in the strides being made to provide affordable health care options for the uninsured, the demand for InterFaith’s services still outpaces our current resources. We target patients who don’t qualify for any financial subsidies under the ACA, meaning that health insurance is still unaffordable for them. And with the state of Tennessee's decision not to expand Medicaid coverage, over 161,000 Tennesseans are in the coverage gap – ineligible for Medicaid and also ineligible for subsidies in the exchange because their incomes are below the poverty level. For these individuals, even an ACA-approved health insurance plan is still unaffordable. These are the individuals for whom InterFaith Health Clinic seeks to provide a medical home. By providing a medical home for those in the coverage gap, InterFaith helps preserve community resources and reduce health care costs by ensuring that treatment takes place in the most appropriate and cost effective setting while not sacrificing quality of care.
Nevertheless, InterFaith has made adjustments in light of the full implementation of the ACA. If an InterFaith patient chooses a health insurance plan through the ACA-mandated Exchange, the patient’s provider will work with him or her to find a new medical home that accepts the patient’s new health insurance plan. In the meantime, the patient can continue to receive necessary medical care at InterFaith, although the care cannot be billed to the patient’s insurance. If you are a patient that has health insurance under the affordable care act, we may under some circumstances still provide care for you, but the services we provide would not be reimbursable under your health insurance.
To make an appointment for a one-on-one discussion with an insurance counselor to find out your health insurance options, please contact Susan Tate at 865-546-7330 or state@interfaithhealthclinic.org . Or for local assistance in applying for a health insurance plan through the ACA Exchange, contact:
Knoxville Area Project Access
115 Suburban Rd.
Knoxville, TN 37923
(865) 531-2766
Or visit www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to learn more.