Access Medical is an innovative solution to the issue of providing the uninsured with a functional way to access comprehensive high quality care at an affordable price. Since 2007 we have helped over 30,000 uninsured individuals gain access to the care they need to become and stay healthy through our comprehensive statewide network of over 2,000 contracted providers who agree to accept a reduced fee for service in exchange for payment at the time.
Access Medical was not created to take the place of insurance. It was designed to provide a functional system of care for individuals who cannot obtain insurance from the individual market, an employer, or government sponsored insurance such as Medicaid and Medicare. Through this system of care, Access Medical has improved the health and well being of our members, reduced uncompensated care for our providers, and positively affected the health of our communities.
Shared Responsibility Model
Being part of a Shared Responsibility Model means that everyone gives a little, and everyone benefits. Access Medical follows a Shared Responsibility Model. Members pay a small, income-based membership fee for access to the discounted provider network and participating healthcare providers receive a timely, yet reduced, payment.
We believe Shared Responsibility is a win-win situation for our members and for the community as a whole. The idea behind the model is that health care and insurance costs can better be controlled when more patients are able to contribute to the cost of their care. Additionally, people will be more likely to receive preventative healthcare and will have fewer hospitalizations for preventable conditions when care is made more affordable and accessible for all. The rates of illness, ER visits, and even death are also reduced because of access to affordable care. In short, a Shared Responsibility Model is good for patients, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and the entire community.
We strongly believe that helping ensure care for everyone in our community is the right thing to do, and we built our organization to support this concept.
Who is Access Medical for?
To become a member of Access Medical you must:
Be uninsured – not currently have health insurance
Live or work in Nevada
Must meet income guidelines
Income Guidelines
| *Family Size | Monthly Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,041-$2,602 |
| 2 | $1,409-$3,523 |
| 3 | $1,778-$4,444 |
| 4 | $2,146-$5,365 |
| 5 | $2,514-$6,285 |
| 6 | $2,883-$7,206 |
| 7 | $3,251-$8,127 |
| 8 | $3,619-$9,048 |
*To qualify for Access Medical an individual/family must live between 100% and 250% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Membership Fee
There is a nominal fee to join Access Medical.
| Membership Fee | Paid Monthly | Paid Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $40/month | $400/year |
| Child | $10/month | $120/year |
We charge a membership fee for two reasons:
- Sustainability – if and when access to care is no longer an issue we will gladly close the doors to Access Medical. Until that time, we strive to be a financially sustainable organization to ensure we can continue to serve the healthcare needs of our community in the best way possible.
- Shared Responsibility – we wholeheartedly believe that if someone pays for something they will value it much more than if it was free. We want our members to value the incredible care they are receiving from our network of providers and be invested in making appropriate decisions with regards to their healthcare.
The Access Medical Provider Network
The Access Medical provider network is composed of a comprehensive list of over 2,000 local providers who have graciously offered their services to our members at reduced rates in exchange for payment in full at the time of service. Our providers represent the full complement of services that would be expected of a robust healthcare provider network including:
Primary Care – Pediatricians and Family Doctors
Specialty Care – Cardiologists (heart doctors), Pulmonologists (lung doctors), Endocrinologists (diabetes doctors), etc.
Surgical Services – Surgeons, Anesthesiologists – Everything you need to have a surgery
Hospitals – Emergency Room, Surgeries and Procedures, In-Patient Care
Radiology – x-Ray, Ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI
Physical Therapy – To help you recover after an injury
Prescriptions – Cholesterol medications, Heart Medications, Diabetes Medications
Durable Medical Equipment – Oxygen Tanks, Walkers, Canes
Home Healthcare – To assist you after a hospitalization
Cancer Services – Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hospice
Dental Services – Cleanings, Crowns, Dentures, Braces
Vision Services – Eye Exams, Glasses and Contacts
Mental Health Providers – Therapists, Psychologists, and Psychiatrists
Other Services – Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Dieticians, Audiology (Hearing Aids), Gym Memberships, yoga classes, and so much more……
Access Medical Provider Testimonials
“By bringing the stakeholders together and requiring something from everyone, including the patient, Access to Healthcare Network has improved the access to care for the uninsured in our community. Renown Health is pleased to participate in a shared responsibility healthcare network that makes such a positive difference in the lives of people in our community.”
“Access to Healthcare Network is a vital part of our community’s healthcare system, making healthcare easier to navigate for uninsured patients. We greatly value the services they provide members and our long term partnership.”
“AHN provides our community members healthcare access previously not available to them. We are better able to fulfill our mission of ‘making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care’ because of our partnership with AHN.”
Access Medical Provider Fees
Below are examples of the fees that our members pay to our providers in full at the time of service. These fees are examples and are not meant to be exhaustive. If you are a current provider that has questions about our fees or what to charge an Access Medical member please visit our online fee schedule by clicking here or call our provider relations team at 775.284.8989 ext. 528.
Primary Care Services
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| New Patient Visit | $80 |
| Established Patient Visit | $55 |
| Annual Exam (Pap Smear) | $80 |
Specialty Care Services
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| New Patient Visit | $160 |
| Established Patient Visit | $80 |
| In-Office Procedures | 60% of Medicare |
| Surgical Services | 80% of Medicare |
Radiology
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| X-Ray | $50 |
| Ultrasound | $75 |
| Mammography | $80 |
Urgent Care Services
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| Urgent Care Visit | $85 all inclusive |
Hospital Services
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| In-Patient Stay | $500 per diem, $5,000 max per admission |
| Emergency Room Visit | $400 if ER visit was appropriate |
| Out-Patient Surgeries | 75% of Medicaid |
| Out-Patient Procedures and Services | 35% Medicaid |
| Chemotherapy | $500 per week of treatment with a $5,000 max |
| Radiation Therapy | $500 per week of treatment with a $5,000 max |
Lab Services
| Service Description | Member Fee |
| Out-Patient Laboratory | $5 per test |
The Medical Home Model
We truly believe in the power of the medical home model in improving the health and well being of our community while at the same time improving the efficiency of the healthcare system as a whole. That is why every one of our members are required upon enrollment to choose a medical home who will act as their primary source for routine and general care.
Appropriate Healthcare Utilization
Access Medical was designed to create a functional system where the uninsured in our community could access the routine, preventive, and proactive care they need to become and stay well and take care of their chronic conditions before they become acute.
This is exemplified by the fact that our membership emergency room utilization rate of 4.2 ER visits per 1,000 member per month remains well below the industry standard.
One of the main guidelines of Access Medical requires that our members either cancel their appointment within 48 hours or risk being removed from the program permanently and forever. A member is allowed one no-call/no-show as a warning and must pay our provider a $25 fee. If a member commits a second no-call/no-show they are immediately removed from the program and can never come back. Since 2007 we have had to remove only 50 people from Access Medical for no-call/no shows.
Uncompensated Care
Access Medical has proven effective at reducing the amount of uncompensated care for our providers by developing a functional system in which they can deliver care to the uninsured with minimal risk of non-payment. Our program guidelines, care coordination systems, and IT infrastructure help to ensure our providers get paid what they are supposed to when they are supposed to.
One of the main guidelines of Access Medical is that our members are required to pay for all of their care in full at the time of service in order to maintain their membership and gain access to our reduced provider fees. If our members do not pay for their care at the time of service they are removed from the program immediately and are never allowed to come back on.
Since 2007 we have had to remove less than 1% of our membership for non-payment of provider fees at the time services. Most of these were for services that were unable to be paid for at the time of service including pathology fees and emergency room physician fees.
Care Coordination
A large part of our success stems from the fact that we integrated care coordination services into the Medical Discount Program from the very beginning, long before it was an industry standard. We knew that to ensure the success of our members and create a functional system for our providers we needed care coordinators to be the glue that connected all the parts together.
Our care coordinators act as a partner for our providers and take as much of the administrative burden as possible off of them including: processing referrals for services, finding necessary providers, pricing surgeries and procedures, ensuring they are receiving payment at the time service, collecting monies which are unable to be paid at the time of service, dealing with no-call no-shows, and managing any member issues or complaints.
We routinely hear from our providers that Access Medical is simpler and easier to use than most insurance plans they work with.
Important Access Medical Facts and Figures
We were the first non-profit medical discount program in the entire nation
AHN serves the low income uninsured throughout the entire State of Nevada
We have served over 30,000 members since starting the program in 2007
Our network is composed of over 2,000 local and regional providers
Our membership consistently maintains an ER utilization rate of between 4.1 and 4.3 ER visits per 1,000 members per month
In 2008 AHN presented Access Medical to members of Congress and Michelle Obama
Access Medical was written into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a demonstration project to determine if we would replicate our success in working with the low income uninsured in other states
Since 2007, Access Medical has: