Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center Gwinn Mi Fax Number
Upper Great Lakes Family unit Wellness Centers
In early 2014 Portage Health announced a unique partnership with Upper Bully Lakes Family Health Center that involved transitioning all Portage Wellness Primary Care Practices to Family Health Centers. This partnership is made possible by funding received from the Federal Bureau of Primary Health Care.
The modify to Family Health Centers will not accept any outcome on established patients, who will continue to come across their provider only as they did before. It does open up an opportunity for depression-income patients, who will exist able to pay on a sliding fee based on federal poverty guidelines. This besides allows Portage Wellness to continue seeing Medicare patients at the health centers.
Beneath are a list of ofttimes asked questions about Upper Great Lakes Family unit Wellness Center, Federal Qualified Health Centers and Family unit Health Centers. If you have additional questions, e-mail UGLFHC Master Executive Officeholder Don Simila at info@uglhealth.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) almost Federally Qualified Health Centers
Q: What is Upper Great Lakes Family Health Centers?
A: Upper Great Lakes Family unit Health Center (UGLFHC) is a not-for-profit organisation that operates Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) in Gwinn, Sawyer and Houghton. The system exists to meet the rising need for affordable, accessible healthcare. UGLFHC operates to aggrandize access for anybody, with special attention to underinsured populations.
Q: What is a Federally Qualified Health Center?
A: Federally Qualified Health Centers include all organizations receiving grants under Department 330 of the Public Health Service Deed (PHS). FQHCs qualify for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, as well every bit other benefits. FQHCs must serve an underserved area or population, offering a sliding-fee scale, provide comprehensive services, take an ongoing quality assurance programme and take a governing board of directors. Sure tribal organizations and FQHC Look-Alikes (an organization that meets PHS Department 330 eligibility requirements, only does not receive grant funding) also may receive special Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Q: Are the FQHCs a service of Portage Wellness?
A: The FQHCs are completely divide entities from Portage Health with a Lath of Directors, at least 51% consumers, who will receive their care from the FQHC. Portage Health and Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center are in a supportive partnership. Portage Health has no intention of controlling Upper Corking Lakes Family unit Wellness Center. An FQHC is an independent organization and cannot, by regulation, exist controlled by a infirmary.
Q: Why are you opening FQHCs in Houghton County?
A: In that location are many residents throughout the Upper Peninsula who are underinsured, and a clinic with an FQHC designation can aid serve the underserved population while maintaining stable healthcare in the communities.
Q: What other differences are there between FQHCs and Rural Health Clinics?
A: Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) have a dissimilar designation with different requirements and benefits. There are differences in staffing requirements, services provided, corporate structure and other features. For instance RHCs must have midlevel practitioners; FQHCs do not accept this requirement. FQHCs must be non-for-turn a profit and have a community-based Lath of Directors; RHCs practise non require a Lath of Directors. FQHCs demand to offer a broader range of services including dental and behavioral health; RHCs do non. FQHCs have the 340B drug program. RHCs do not.
The Rural Assistance Heart at www.raconline.org is a good reference for more than information on the differences.
Below is a comparison chart between FQHCs, RHCs, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
| Comparison Chart | |||
| Benefits/Outcome | RHC | FQHC | CAH |
| Shortage expanse location | Located in HPSA* or MUA** | Serve MUA/MUP*** | N/A |
| Access to base grant | No | Yes | No |
| Access to 340B Federal Drug Pricing | No | Aye | No |
| FTCA malpractice insurance coverage | No | Grantees just | Due north/A |
| Sliding-fees required | No | Yeah | Charity care |
| Support for other services (e.grand. mental health, dental, specialty services) | Some, but not dental | Yes | Limited |
| Corporate status | Whatever | Not-for-profit | Any |
* HPSA - Health Professional person Shortage Surface area
** MUA - Medically Underserved Surface area
*** MUP - Medically Underserved Population
A: In that location are 32 health center organizations (FQHCs), and iii FQHC-Look Alike organizations. Several of the 32 organizations have multiple sites.Q: How many FQHC are there in Michigan?
Q: Who runs and makes decisions almost UGLFHC?
A: A volunteer Board of Directors makes the decisions for the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center. The Board is equanimous of individuals from Houghton, Keweenaw and Marquette counties. At least 51% of the board is FQHC consumers.
The UGLFHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Don Simila. Each location also has a manager.
Q: Is the FQHC program a new initiative from the Federal regime?
A: The FQHC plan has been effectually since the 1960'southward. More recently the plan has experienced increased funding. The federal legislators are watching this program and consider information technology as one of the positive factors in healthcare reform. They are doing their due diligence with programs and the currently funded programs are being held to high standards.
Q: Is the FQHC plan growing quickly?
A: Yes. Currently, in that location are slightly more than 1,200 FQHC organizations nationally. Many organizations have multiple sites. The FQHC program expanded very rapidly nether the George W. Bush administration, and the programme continues to grow under the Obama administration. There is every indication that the programme will keep to grow in the years to come.
Q: Are there restrictions on where an FQHC is located?
A: An FQHC must be located in a federally designated Underserved Surface area, or serve an Underserved Population. To be fiscally responsible, an FQHC needs to determine the number of un/underserved individuals in a reasonable service area – a general just not accented number is 5,000 un/underserved individuals. A new FQHC usually increases to a base of v,000 over a three-year catamenia.
Q: Is there an entrance fee or comprisal fee?
A: No. However, an FQHC is non a free clinic. At that place is an absolute expectation that people volition pay according to a sliding-fee (based on annual federal poverty guidelines).
Q: Are there co-pays?
A: There are no Medicaid co-payments. In that location are co-payments for many tertiary-political party insurances and for Medicare.
Q: Do FQHCs cover optical services?
A: For screening, yes. Other services, no. Notwithstanding, most FQHC staff work diligently to suit for needed care (on a sliding-fee) for all their patients.
Q: Does an FQHC provide services to children?
A: Yes, an FQHC must offer services to all ages. An FQHC patient profile varies and reflects customs need. The largest cohort of underinsured includes people from 19 – 64 years of age (those usually not eligible for Medicaid/Medicare).
Q: How does reimbursement piece of work for patients who are referred for specialty care?
A: An FQHC grant provides funding for primary care, oral healthcare, and behavioral wellness/substance abuse counseling services. FQHCs traditionally work with specialists to arrange for services on a sliding-fee calibration. Specialty intendance access is a significant challenge for FQHCs, and each community develops its own strategies or models to providing specialty care services. At that place is no ane all-inclusive solution.
Q: What happens when a patient of an FQHC has to go to the hospital?
A: An FQHC is required to have an organisation for inpatient services, available on a sliding-fee, for patients that need inpatient care.
Source: https://www.portagehealth.org/our-services/all-services/upper-great-lakes-family-health-centers