GMHA self-pay amnesty program begins
Tuesday marked the beginning of the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority's 90-day Self-Pay Amnesty Program. The program, which will run through Dec. 31, is intended to help improve GMHA's collections while providing patients with financial relief from medical expenses.
Under the program, patients can receive a 50% discount on balances for self-pay accounts for services rendered before Sept. 30, 2023. Balances not paid via tax garnishment also may be eligible for the discount, GMHA stated previously.
GMHA employees under payroll deduction and patients under payment arrangements also may qualify for the 50% discount. For cases involving motor vehicle accidents, patients must provide an insurance settlement or denial letter, or a police report.
According to past financial audit reports on GMHA, self-pay patients make up about 14% of the payer mix for the hospital authority. GMHA officials reported in May that receivables had been improving in all areas except for self-pay. At that time, GMHA Chief Financial Officer Yuka Hechanova said hospital officials were planning to outsource the collection of old accounts while internal collection staff work on current accounts.
