Dear Patient:

As a not-for-profit health care institution, Pondera Medical Center and PMC Clinic recognizes an obligation to provide needed health care services to the community.  Necessary services, as determined by Pondera Medical Center and PMC Clinic in cooperation with its Medical Staff, will not be withheld due to a patient's inability to pay for such services. The annual dollar amount available for charity care will be budgeted and approved by the Board of Directors of PMC. 

Recognizing for certain patients, cost poses an undue hardship or barrier to receiving medical services, a structured program will be maintained to provide charity assistance in the form of forgiveness of all or a portion of the hospital or clinic bill, for a 6 month period, not to exceed $10,000 per year for a family.  If the application is approved, forgiveness will be given on accounts no older than 6 months (date of service), for a period of 6 months, at which time a new application must be filed.

The charity assistance program includes physician and physician assistant certified service fees, and is applied to all in-office services supplied by the Pondera Medical Center and PMC Clinic.  Cosmetic and other procedures, which are not medically necessary, will not be discounted.

Nursing Home services are ineligible for charity assistance consideration.

All patients will not "automatically" be screened and evaluated for charity assistance eligibility. The patient or someone on his or her behalf can initiate the request. As such, the determination and granting of charity assistance is a cooperative action between the patient and Pondera Medical Center and PMC Clinic. The granting of charity assistance is conditional upon the patient performing all of their obligations associated with the program, including timely provision of information and payment of the portion of the hospi­tal or clinic bill that is their obligation to pay.

For more information, please contact Brenda Ries at (406) 271-3211 ext. 210.

Sincerely,

Pondera Medical Center