RENO, Nev. - This month Prominence Health Plan has unveiled a new service available free of charge to all commercial group-insured members that will help navigate the complex process of paying medical bills after care has been delivered. Through a partnership with The Karis Group, Prominence members who incur more than $1,000 worth of medical fees after insurance has been paid are now eligible for Karis Bill Negotiator® services and an expert Patient Advocate.
A dedicated Karis Patient Advocate will work directly with a member's healthcare provider - including doctor's offices, hospitals - to help reduce their out-of-pocket medical bills. These bills are often incurred during costly trips to an out-of-network provider or Emergency Room. Whether through negotiated discounts, public program qualification or payment plans, expert advocates can help lower these patient-responsible medical bills to something more manageable for the member.
"When our members told us about the high out-of-pocket expenses they incurred while using out-of-network services, we knew we had to do something to help," said Kamal Jemmoua, Chief Operating Officer, Prominence Health Plan. "We found a solution with Karis who will help Prominence members by negotiating on their behalf. It was important that we provide these services at no cost to the member to alleviate any additional financial burden."
With two thirds of all bankruptcies in America including a medical bill debt component, bill negotiation is an invaluable benefit to assist members in avoiding financial hardship and possible bankruptcy.
"We appreciate the opportunity to assist Prominence Health Plan members, especially when they incur unforeseen out-of-network charges that result in a medical bill balance due -- after their claim has been fully paid. We have been helping insurance companies and policyholders across the U.S. for nearly 22 years and bring a great track record of success in reaching agreements between providers and patients in handling these out-of-pocket balances on their medical bills," states Bob Reilley, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Karis.
Prominence Health Plan provides coverage to more than 45,000 fully insured, self-funded and Medicare Advantage members throughout Nevada and parts of Texas. For more information about Prominence Health Plan, visit www.prominencehealthplan.com.
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About Prominence Health Plan
Prominence Health Plan began in 1993 as a health maintenance organization (HMO) and became of a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) when it was acquired in 2014. The Prominence Health Plan commercial HMO/POS product is nationally accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Other products available from Prominence Health Plan include point-of-service plans, third party self-funded options and a Medicare Advantage product. Prominence Health Plan serves more than 45,000 throughout Nevada and parts of Texas.
Parent company UHS ranks # 276 on the 2017 Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations and consistently ranks among their World's Most Admired Companies.
About The Karis Group
Founded in 1996 and based in Austin, Texas, The Karis Group is an award-winning healthcare professional services firm built on the vision to make healthcare work for the individual and their family members. The Karis Group's products and services include Karis 360 and Karis Health Choice, both which help clients, companies and individual members tackle the stress and expense of the healthcare world today. With a business model based on Christian beliefs and a higher purpose beyond financial success, The Karis Group sets aside 10% of profits each month for charitable work in the local community and around the world. For more information, go to thekarisgroup.com.
