The following statement was made today by University of Utah Health's CEO of Hosptials and Clinics
Dear Colleagues,
Today it was announced that an agreement to temporarily end the U.S. Government shutdown has been reached. As the long-term effects of this shutdown continue to ripple throughout the country, we are especially mindful of the individuals in our local communities who have been and continue to be impacted.
During this time of uncertainty, we feel it is our responsibility to provide a level of financial assurance for those U of U Health patients and families who depend on us for health care services.
I am pleased to inform you that after several days of planning with our team, U of U Health will move forward immediately to waive collection of out-of-pocket costs for federal employees who have been furloughed or were otherwise working without pay. Waivers will apply to out-of-pocket costs for clinic visits, urgent care, emergency room visits and retail pharmacy. In addition, the University will work with these patients to access financial services as needed using our current financial assistance policy. This assistance will also be extended to family members covered by the federal employee's health plan and will continue through this period of uncertainty until the government re-opens permanently.
We want to continue to be partners in meeting the health care needs of our community and this is something we can do to help those facing financial hardships as a result of the shutdown. Actually, this was an easy decision to make and we're happy to do our part to help our neighbors whose job it is to help us all.
Thank you for your service to our community and a special thanks to the dozens of U of U Health faculty and staff who quickly stepped up to make this action a reality.
Sincerely,
Gordon Crabtree
CEO
University of Utah Health – Hospitals & Clinics