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Links to Browns coverage: Sept. 2, 2010
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Connor Cook of Walsh Jesuit Ready to Lead (VIDEO)
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Jeff Daniels Making Music at Kent Stage
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Brown, Lewis called up in addition to Carrasco
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Former Akron administrator seeks top job in Youngstown
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Jeff Daniels Making Music at Kent Stage
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Find the Hidden Kitten–and Peace Too!
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Cavs change uniforms … again
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Basketball team faces tougher schedule than usual
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Orphans in Fondwa
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‘The Shoe’ is Open for Business
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Beck: "Lord Sending Wakeup Calls"
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Love Is In The Air (SING IT!)
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Robert Wilson, Gap Band bassist, dies
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Fashion Police?
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From the White House – New Federal Approach to Hiring
By Cheryl Powell
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:20 p.m. EDT, Jul 29, 2009
The Summit County Medical Society has found a possible way to take some of the financial sting out of getting blood tests for uninsured patients.
A local primary-care practice that runs a low-cost lab for its patients has agreed to offer tests to uninsured patients of other doctors in the community.
Starting Monday, any uninsured patient can make an appointment for blood tests at Pioneer Physicians Network Inc., a 24-doctor practice in the Akron area.
A recent survey found the list prices for five of the most commonly ordered tests range from $34 to $347 at area hospitals and major labs.
Pioneer charges $14 to $32 for those same tests, according to the practice's Web site.
''We've kept our pricing down because we have self-pay patients and uninsured patients,'' practice manager Kathy Kostelnick said. ''It's one fee schedule for everybody. This is how we've been doing it all along.''
The Summit County Medical Society earlier this year launched an effort to persuade Akron's hospitals and labs in the area to discount bills for uninsured patients.
By law, medical institutions must charge everyone the same rate for services. But most bills then are steeply discounted for patients covered by government and private insurance plans.
As the federal health insurer for people 65 or older and some younger disabled Americans, Medicare is the largest payer for medical services in the nation and, therefore, can set the amount it pays lower.
Uninsured patients end up stuck with what might be thought of as the ''sticker price,'' unless they qualify for assistance.
Dr. Doug Lefton, a primary-care physician in Fairlawn and special projects coordinator for the medical society, has been leading the campaign to get labs to accept payments from uninsured patients that are similar to the amount Medicare pays.
Pioneer heard about the effort and offered to open three of its labs to uninsured patients of other doctors, Kostelnick said.
The practice has rates that are closer than many other labs as a service to its estimated 70,000 patients, she said.
Medicare, for example, pays $18.57 in Ohio for a cholesterol test that area labs charge $96 to $147.75 to provide, according to a recent survey of area labs.
Pioneer charges $24 for the test, according to its Web site.
Providing lower-cost labwork is important, Lefton said, because the ability of doctors to diagnose patients' problems is limited if they can't afford tests.
He said the society plans to continue urging area labs to lower their rates.
Several other programs exist to help people who lack insurance.
Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Medical Center and Summa Health System, for example, all have programs to help people who can't afford their medical bills.
A state program provides free hospital care to anyone who earns less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or $10,830 for an individual.
Earlier this year, LabCorp also launched its LabAccess Partnership Program to provide discounts for uninsured patients or those whose insurance doesn't cover the tests. People must pay at the time of service.
To quality for the new program with Pioneer, patients must pay with cash, check or credit card for the tests at the time of the service. A flat $5 draw fee also is charged per appointment, regardless of how many tests are run.
Tests are available by appointment only at three Pioneer's locations: 65 Community Road, Tallmadge (330-633-6601); One Park West Blvd., Akron (330-835-9056); and 4880 South Main St., Green (330-644-2700).
More information is available at http://www.pioneerphysicians.com.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Summit County Medical Society has found a possible way to take some of the financial sting out of getting blood tests for uninsured patients.
A local primary-care practice that runs a low-cost lab for its patients has agreed to offer tests to uninsured patients of other doctors in the community.
Starting Monday, any uninsured patient can make an appointment for blood tests at Pioneer Physicians Network Inc., a 24-doctor practice in the Akron area.
A recent survey found the list prices for five of the most commonly ordered tests range from $34 to $347 at area hospitals and major labs.
Pioneer charges $14 to $32 for those same tests, according to the practice's Web site.
''We've kept our pricing down because we have self-pay patients and uninsured patients,'' practice manager Kathy Kostelnick said. ''It's one fee schedule for everybody. This is how we've been doing it all along.''
The Summit County Medical Society earlier this year launched an effort to persuade Akron's hospitals and labs in the area to discount bills for uninsured patients.
By law, medical institutions must charge everyone the same rate for services. But most bills then are steeply discounted for patients covered by government and private insurance plans.
As the federal health insurer for people 65 or older and some younger disabled Americans, Medicare is the largest payer for medical services in the nation and, therefore, can set the amount it pays lower.
Uninsured patients end up stuck with what might be thought of as the ''sticker price,'' unless they qualify for assistance.
Dr. Doug Lefton, a primary-care physician in Fairlawn and special projects coordinator for the medical society, has been leading the campaign to get labs to accept payments from uninsured patients that are similar to the amount Medicare pays.
Pioneer heard about the effort and offered to open three of its labs to uninsured patients of other doctors, Kostelnick said.
The practice has rates that are closer than many other labs as a service to its estimated 70,000 patients, she said.
Medicare, for example, pays $18.57 in Ohio for a cholesterol test that area labs charge $96 to $147.75 to provide, according to a recent survey of area labs.
Pioneer charges $24 for the test, according to its Web site.
Providing lower-cost labwork is important, Lefton said, because the ability of doctors to diagnose patients' problems is limited if they can't afford tests.
He said the society plans to continue urging area labs to lower their rates.
Several other programs exist to help people who lack insurance.
Akron Children's Hospital, Akron General Medical Center and Summa Health System, for example, all have programs to help people who can't afford their medical bills.
A state program provides free hospital care to anyone who earns less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or $10,830 for an individual.
Earlier this year, LabCorp also launched its LabAccess Partnership Program to provide discounts for uninsured patients or those whose insurance doesn't cover the tests. People must pay at the time of service.
To quality for the new program with Pioneer, patients must pay with cash, check or credit card for the tests at the time of the service. A flat $5 draw fee also is charged per appointment, regardless of how many tests are run.
Tests are available by appointment only at three Pioneer's locations: 65 Community Road, Tallmadge (330-633-6601); One Park West Blvd., Akron (330-835-9056); and 4880 South Main St., Green (330-644-2700).
More information is available at http://www.pioneerphysicians.com.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.
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