APPOINTMENTS
Patients are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance. A patient who fails to arrive at the clinic within 15 minutes of their scheduled appointment time or fails to cancel their appointment 24 hours prior to the scheduled time will be considered to have “broken appointment”. A patient that has three broken appointments within a six calendar month period will not be allowed to schedule an appointment in advance. The patient may still be seen on a walk-in basis as time is available. We appreciate your cooperation in making health care affordable and accessible to all of our patients by honoring your scheduled appointments. We understand unforeseen events do occur and we will do our best to assist you with your health care needs.
EMERGENCIES
During Clinic Hours: All clinic sites provide limited emergency medical services and are able to respond to minor emergencies only. If you have a life threatening emergency, please call 911.
EMERGENCIES AFTER HOURS & WEEKENDS
If you experience a medical or dental emergency call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department. Native American CHS (See CHS section later in the Handbook for more information) patients using the emergency room as a MACT patient will have the visit covered by MACT as long as the CHS Office or Native American Services Coordinator is notified within 72 hours of receiving medical treatment .
PATIENT RIGHTS
You have the right to receive accurate and easily understood information about your health plan, health care professionals, and health care facilities.
You have the right to a choice of health care providers to provide you with access to appropriate high-quality health care.
If you have severe pain, an injury, or sudden illness that convinces you that your health is in serious jeopardy, you have the right to receive screening and stabilization emergency services whenever and wherever needed, without prior authorization.
You have the right to know all your treatment options and to participate in decision-making about your care. Parents, guardians, family members, or other individuals that you designate can represent you if you cannot make your own decisions.
You have a right to considerate, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from your doctors, health plan representatives, and other health care providers.
You have the right to talk in confidence with health care providers and to have your health care information protected. You also have the right to review and copy your own medical record and request that your physician amend your record if it is not accurate, relevant, or complete.
You have the right to a fair, fast, and objective review of any complaint you have against your health plan, doctors, hospitals or other health care personnel. This includes complaints about waiting times, operating hours, the conduct of health care personnel, and the adequacy of health care facilities. You may contact MACT’s Compliance Hotline at 866-811-0192.
Remember: Doctors and other health care professionals (nurses, clerks, etc.) cannot authorize payment of services received outside of MACT. Only the Contract Health Services (CHS) Program staff can authorize payment.
INSURANCE INFORMATION
MACT Health Board accepts most PPO Insurance Plans. We are currently contracted as In-Network with the following companies:
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Blue Cross Medical/Dental
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CCN / First Health
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Blue Shield Medical/Dental
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Ameritas Dental
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Medicare
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CMSP Medical/Dental
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Delta Dental
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AIG Dental
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Premier Access
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Dental Benefit Providers
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United Healthcare Medical/Dental
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Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal
If your insurance plan is not listed above and you would like us to consider becoming an In-Network provider please contact our Billing Department (209) 754-6240.
SLIDING FEE PROGRAM
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Those who may qualify for the Sliding Fee are those whose income falls below the 200% Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. (This does not apply to qualified Native Americans.)
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You MUST APPLY EACH YEAR to be eligible for the Sliding Fee. When applying, a proof of income from the past year must accompany the application. The percentage of discount is dependent upon the income of the household and the number of members in the household.
The application form and complete explanation of the Sliding Fee Program can be downloaded and printed HERE or obtained at your clinic site. You may also contact the Billing Department if you would like a copy mailed to you. The completed application and proof of annual income may then be brought to the particular clinic that will be your provider or you can return it by mail to the Billing Department at PO Box 939 Angels Camp, CA 95222 Attn: Billing Department.
BILLING FOR CLINIC SERVICES
The MACT Health Board Indian Health Clinics follow the regulations and law as set by the Indian Health Service and the State of California. This is NOT a free clinic. Depending on your status, you will be financially responsible for all, part, or none of the services performed at the clinic. By law the clinic must bill your insurance company for services performed at MACT clinics.
At MACT Health Board, we are committed to keeping you healthy. When you come to us for treatment, our Billing Department will be happy to talk to you about payment options.
Our financial assistance policies state that:
If you are uninsured, you may be eligible to receive a discount of up to 20% off your charges incurred at any of our locations. Once you have applied and been approved for a discount you will not need to reapply for an entire year. Additionally, we can backdate any application to cover any current charges incurred on your account. For questions regarding this discount please contact our Billing Department at (209) 754-6240.
Our Billing staff and/or clinic staff can help you find out if you qualify for a government program such as Medi-Cal or CMSP. If one of these programs is right for you, we can also assist you with the application process.
If you do not qualify for a government program, we provide special arrangements to eligible low income patients. Please contact our Billing Department if you cannot pay your bill. We will review your financial situation to determine if you are eligible for financial assistance.
If you need more time to pay your bill we offer convenient affordable payment plans for your account, including Care Credit. For questions regarding this service please contact our billing department at (209) 754-6240. You can also download the sliding fee application from our website. Please contact our billing department at (209) 754-6240. You can also download the sliding fee application from our website.
SERVICE ANIMAL POLICY
MACT will follow ADA guidelines in allowing Service Animals in all areas of the clinics. ADA broadly protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in access to services, buildings, etc. Patients and visitors with disabilities are entitled to be accompanied by their service animals when they are either admitted or visit hospitals, outpatient areas or clinics. That includes areas where patients and visitors are normally allowed except:
Certain areas that require a “protected environment” and
When the service animal directly threatens the health and safety of patients, visitors or staff, or
The animal would fundamentally alter the provision of essential services.
Core definition: Service Animal is “any domestic animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a physical, cognitive, or mental disability”. Note: the definition of service animal has evolved over time to broaden it beyond a species, specific (e.g. dog) definition. Service animals perform tasks that individuals with disabilities cannot perform or need assistance with including, but not limited to:
Guidance for blind or low-vision patients
Alerting deaf or hearing impaired
Pulling a wheelchair
Picking up dropped items
Assisting during a seizure
Retrieving medicine or the telephone
Providing physical support for balance and stability
Assisting with navigation