Mercy Health Love County - News

Medical Bill Woes? See Our Financial Counselor

Posted on Friday, June 20th, 2014

Can uninsured patients become insured?
The hospital’s financial counselor, Kari VanBeber, screens patients for eligibility for the public health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare. These programs have been around since 1965, helping pay medical bills for low income and elderly/disabled patients, respectively.
Starting in 2014, the hospital also has begun screening for eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Most Love County working adults ages 18 to 64 qualify for a subsidized private plan under “Obamacare” for themselves and their children.
These are plans offered by Oklahoma insurance companies that pay toward hospital, doctor, prescription drug, maternity, pediatric, rehabilitation, mental health, substance abuse, and other expenses, and also provide free “well visits” and “screenings” for preventive care. A website, www.healthcare.gov, explains more.
Our clients want to be able to pay their medical bills and we want to help them find a solution," says Connie Graham, business office director. "We can work on a payment plan, patients can apply for financial aid, and now we have a financial counselor to assist with insurance options."
 

Kari VanBeber, Financial Counselor/
Supervisor
 
“I was born here. I grew up running
around the hallways,” says Kari
VanBeber, who joined the hospital
in March to assist patients needing
help paying medical bills. Her parents,
Phil and Sherry Cail, worked
at the hospital in 1976. “Dr. O’Connor
delivered me and was our family doctor.”

She worked as a vault teller at a credit
union while attending Southeastern
Oklahoma State University. After
graduating with a bachelor of
business degree in 2009, she joined
Mercy Hospital, Ardmore, as a human
resources associate.