HISPANIC ADVOCACY GROUP HELPS ESTABLISH FIRST “FAIR PRICING FOR THE UNINSURED” MEDICAL CLINIC IN MIAMI 

Clinic to Offer Primary Care Medical Services to
All Uninsured Patients at Medicare Rates Plus 25% 

MIAMI, FL—In a major initiative to encourage health care providers to start charging the uninsured more reasonable prices, Consejo de Latinos Unidos, a national non-profit organization that educates and assists the uninsured, and the Ross Integral Medical Clinic outlined the details of a “Fair Pricing for the Uninsured” plan at a news conference today. 

The centerpiece of the Primary Care pricing plan is that uninsured patients, regardless of income, will be charged Medicare rates plus 25 percent at the Ross Integral Medical Clinic. Some additional facts about the program: 

• Primary Care: Reduces medical complications and high cost Emergency Room charges.

• Low Charges: Excellent affordability where customers significantly pay less on all services. Most uninsured are employed. Customers are drawn to a clinic where they can pay less for quality services.

• No Income Sliding Scale: All customers, regardless of their income, pay the same rates for services: Medicare plus 25%. Customers are not discriminated based on their income.

• No Membership Requirements: Customers will have the freedom to pay for care as they receive it. The initiative provides Equal Opportunity access to all uninsured patients.

• Pay As Needed: Customers can pay in cash or by credit or debit card when services are needed. Provides freedom of choice without patients being penalized or restricted.

In 2003, the Consejo scored a major victory against hospital giant Tenet Healthcare, which ended its aggressive billing and collection practices against the uninsured. Tenet, which operates several hospitals in Miami and South Florida, now charges the uninsured the same discounted prices as major managed care insurance companies. With Tenet and Ross Integral in the same market, uninsured patients will now have a safety network that will protect them from price gouging and make medical care more affordable. 

The Consejo has been and is working on getting other clinics and hospitals to adopt “fair pricing for the uninsured” policies.