Evo Terra (Host): This is Check-up Chat with EvergreenHealth. I'm Evo Terra. Today's topic, the financial assistance services at EvergreenHealth, what help's available, how to access it, and how their teams work together to make care more affordable and easier to navigate. I'm joined today by Richard Gould, Executive Director of Revenue Cycle; Liz Schaper, Director of Patient Access; and Rebecca Fisher-Saad, Director of Patient Financial Services at EvergreenHealth. Thanks to you all for being here today.

Richard Gould: Thank you. It's great to be here.

Rebecca Fisher-Saad: Thank you.

Liz Schaper: Thank you.

Host: Richard, it seems like everything is more expensive nowadays because it is. Can you give us an overview of all the ways that EvergreenHealth is helping patients afford the care they need, or maybe even to help them get signed up for insurance?

Richard Gould: Sure. And yes, it does seem like everything is more expensive these days. And when it comes to healthcare, EvergreenHealth is helping patients afford the care they need in a number of ways. We offer programs and services to help low-income and uninsured patients. We have specialists to help them find and apply for insurance coverage, and we also offer financial assistance to low-income patients. We don't want patients to put off or postpone care that they need because they're concerned about the cost of care.

Host: Absolutely. Rebecca, he mentioned financial assistance. So, what is that? And I know it's also known as charity care. What are some of the common misconceptions about that?

Rebecca Fisher-Saad: Yeah, that they are used interchangeably between financial assistance and charity care. So, that's a good call-out there. I think a big misconception is the patients assume that they won't qualify. They are under the impression that maybe they aren't low enough income, or maybe they've previously accessed our program and think that it's a one-time situation, which is not the case. Patients can apply any time that they need to.

There's also not a time limit on applying. So, maybe you're in a financial situation that changes and now you don't have the ability to pay your bills. And so, now, you can look at leveraging that application at that point due to the change in your financial situation. So, there's lots of misconceptions. But I think those are the main ones around, you know, not the ability to access the program or not meeting those financial thresholds.

Host: Yeah, I think that's pretty common for a lot of people. Like, "I have a job, I have insurance, so do I qualify for financial assistance?" Do they?

Rebecca Fisher-Saad: Yes, most definitely. A very large portion of our patient population, they are insured and they are working full-time. Maybe it's just a change in financial situation or family size increase, things like that. So yeah, that is a big misconception as well. So, it does qualify for the insured patients as well and any of their balances after insurance.

Host: Now, I haven't forgotten about you, Liz. What about the educational materials that EvergreenHealth might be offering patients, helping them navigate insurance and understanding what coverage they actually have? Because I know it's tough for me as a patient sometimes.

Liz Schaper: Absolutely. It certainly is. And, you know, we really try to simplify just the parts of the healthcare system that can sometimes feel very overwhelming and very hard to navigate. And a big part of what we do is we provide one-on-one education. We help patients understand what their insurance actually means for them, and what to expect financially if they were to seek care with us.

And, as you know, as a community hospital, that's really at the core of what we do. We're here to serve and to support our community. That includes making sure that all of our patients feel informed and never overwhelmed. And we spend a lot of time with our financial counselor team, really kind of breaking things down in a way that feels very clear, very manageable because, again, we know this is not something that most people deal with every day. But for us, it's about making sure patients feel educated, they're supported, and that they feel confident, and that they don't feel like they're navigating this, on their own.

Host: You mentioned financial counselors. I mean, I have a financial advisor, but he doesn't work for a hospital. So, tell me a little bit about these financial counselors and how do patients meet with them, what they do.

Liz Schaper: Great question. So, we have several financial counselors throughout EvergreenHealth, and they are really there to guide our patients through what again can feel very unfamiliar part of healthcare journey. And their role is to help patients understand what are their options and to help prepare as they plan for their care.

Patients can reach out to our financial counselors in a multitude of different ways. They can reach out to our financial counselors by phone, by email, or even through myChart messages directly, but they can also come to meet with us in person too. And we really encourage them to ask questions at any point, even sometimes before their visit is even scheduled.

But financial counselors, they help review all of the patient care estimates in detail. They walk through financial assistance options. And again, you know, they talk about ways to plan for those out-of-pocket costs. And everything they do is completely confidential. There is never any pressure to commit to anything. It's really just about helping patients get informed so they can make the best decision for themselves, and also for their family. So again, at the end of the day, we just want patients to feel like they have somebody in their corner.

Host: Yeah. Yeah. Can you tell me just—you mentioned the word care estimates. Can you tell me about that and what patients should know?

Liz Schaper: A care estimate, it's really a tool that helps patients understand what a planned service might cost ahead of time. and it's based off of the type of care and the patient's insurance specifically, and it gives a general idea of what their financial responsibility could be. And again, we know that these can feel a little bit overwhelming at first, so we always encourage patients to connect with our team.

We walk through the estimate in detail step by step. We can explain exactly what is going into it and talk through anything that just might be unclear or potentially could change. But I think what is most helpful is that it opens the door to having a conversation now. And again, we can talk through those next steps. We can explore financial assistance that Rebecca mentioned if that is needed. And we just want to make sure the patient feels comfortable in their ability to move forward. And again, at the end of the day, for us, this is all about transparency and support, and we want patients to feel prepared, never surprised, and just to know that they have a partner to walk through the process with them.

Host: Yeah, being never surprised by a hospital is a wonderful thing. It definitely is. I can tell you as a patient, certainly. Richard, back to you for a second. I know that in the 2025 King County Public Hospital District Number 2, they had this levy lid lift that helped fund the EvergreenHealth Community Healthcare Access Team or CHAT. So, how can they help patients get insurance and be able to afford care?

Richard Gould: Well, let me first say that we're very proud to be a community-owned hospital and very fortunate to have the great support of our community members. And one of the ways that we use those levy funds is with what you said, the Community Healthcare Access Team, also known as CHAT. It's a great resource of individuals who help low-income and uninsured patients gain access to insurance, see if they qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, and they'll help get them signed up. They're also certified navigators for the Washington Health Insurance Exchange, which offers commercial insurance to individuals in the community, and they can help get them signed up or see if they qualify for insurance.

Another is they coordinate referrals within the community for services, including charity care and also pharmaceutical patient assistance programs to help obtain high-cost meds that may be out of their ability to afford. And then, also, transportation services like the King County Access Bus, which offers free rides or very low-cost rides to your medical appointments or other appointments that you might need. It's a great service. CHAT's here to help. It's at no cost, and they do a great job

Host: Amazing. I'm going to ask each of you to give me some final thoughts that patients should know about financial assistance there at EvergreenHealth. And since I haven't chatted with you a while, Rebecca, I'll let you go first.

Rebecca Fisher-Saad: Yeah. I think one thing is just don't be afraid to ask questions. Really be involved in that care of the financial aspect, not just the medical aspect of it. We have lots of services available. Our financial assistance is always there to support and supplement where there's a balance recovery effort that's needed.

And there's a sliding scale. So, really also making sure that you're comfortable with understanding your benefits that your insurance company has for you. Talk to your benefits team at your employer to make sure that you really understand, especially if you have something that's coming up that's a repeated need for medical care. Make sure that those benefits, that you really understand them. So, be really informed in that piece so that you're feeling comfortable with the whole treatment of your care from medical all the way through to the end. And then, know that we're there to help support.

And ask those questions. We have payment plans. We have financial assistance. We have help with the chat team and our financial counselors. So, we're really there to help you. And so please ask those questions so that we can help.

Host: Liz?

Liz Schaper: My message is very similar to Rebecca's, and my biggest message would be do not assume that you won't qualify and don't hesitate to ask for help. We have dedicated teams ready to support you. Everything is confidential, and it's really just dedicated and very focused to just make your care more accessible.

Financial concerns, it should never stop someone from seeking care. We are here ready to partner with you every step of the way. So, I would just say come and talk to us. We're here and we're ready to help support you.

Host: And Richard?

Richard Gould: Yes. Every day we help patients afford the care they need. If you have concerns about affording the care you need, reach out. We're here to help.

Host: Wonderful. Richard, Rebecca, Liz, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

Liz Schaper: Thank you.

Rebecca Fisher-Saad: Thank you.

Richard Gould: Thank you.

Host: And that wraps up this episode of Check-up Chat with EvergreenHealth. Please visit our website at evergreenhealth.com for more information and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other EvergreenHealth podcasts. I'm Evo Terra, reminding you to follow us on your social channels for more health tips and updates. This has been Check-up Chat with EvergreenHealth. Thanks for watching.