*Editor’s note: This information was published in the February 2022 issue of Heartfelt Magazine, CHM’s monthly magazine that provides CHM membership-related tips and tricks, medical advice from doctors, testimonies from CHM members, and more. Please refer to the CHM Guidelines and applicable web pages for the most up-to-date information regarding CHM membership, sharing eligibility, and ministry news.*
Meet our fictional friend, Valentina Heartly. She’s a CHM member at the Gold level, and she’s had several medical events this year. Follow along to see how she handled them.
Emergency care
Oh no! In the cold winter snow, Valentina slipped on ice and broke her leg. Luckily, her neighbor saw and called an ambulance.
At the hospital, Valentina informed the staff that she is self-pay, and showed them her CHM membership card. She also followed these steps:
- Informed them she needed itemized bills sent directly to her.
- Asked them for self-pay discount, and inquired about financial aid.
She set up a payment plan. Though the ambulance fees weren’t eligible for sharing according to the CHM Guidelines, when she got her other itemized bills, she submitted them to CHM through the Member Portal. When CHM reimbursed her, she kept the amount of money she’d already paid toward her medical bills, and sent the remaining amount to her providers.
Non-emergency care
Valentina’s been having random, intensifying chest pain that’s been working its way down her left arm. When she went to her doctor about it, he ordered a few tests, which showed that she needed a stent.
She was going to need surgery.
As this wasn’t an emergency, Valentina shopped around and found a hospital with high-quality services and competitive pricing. She made good use of the CHM-friendly providers tool.
When she scheduled her surgery, she was told payment upfront was needed for the services.
Valentina called CHM. The staff reached out to the hospital and made all the arrangements, and obtained a big discount.
Just like before, Valentina followed these steps:
- Told her providers she is self-pay and showed her CHM membership card.
- Asked for itemized bills to be sent directly to her.
- Requested discounts and financial aid.
- Submitted her bills through the Member Portal.
- Promptly paid her providers when CHM reimbursed her.
Telemedicine
When Valentina has general medical issues, she heads to the free HealthiestYou™ app! Learn more in the “Telemedicine service is healthy for your wallet, too” by clicking here and registering for the upcoming webinar.
