We are enhancing our Preventive Care to maximize the value of your Health Access Benefit! Starting in January 2024, you can look forward to experiencing these exciting updates.

HAS Preventive Care Services

Your Health Access Benefit, and specifically the Preventive Care component, is designed to keep you and your family healthy. That’s why you don’t pay for any services you don’t need and you get reimbursed for the Preventive Care services you do need, such as vision exams, dental cleanings, flu shots, lab tests, mammograms, colonoscopies, and more.

We make reimbursements simple for our members:

1. Visit the provider of your choice as a self-pay patient.
2. Submit a photo of your itemized receipt for reimbursement. View the complete list of eligible services and reimbursement maximums for 2024 here.
3. Get reimbursed within a few business days.

Preventive Care Service Enhancements

Our goal is to help your family receive top-quality health care and save money on medical bills. By expanding our Preventive Care services, your health care is easier and more affordable. As of January 2024, HAS members will have access to even more benefits:

• Nutritional Health Reimbursement: Take control of your diet by gaining the help you need. Reimburse up to $500 per year for nutritional counseling, meal planning, and weight loss support (previously $250 per year).
• Tobacco Cessation Reimbursement: If you’re ready to break your nicotine habit, you now have $500 per year of support from your Health Access Benefit (previously $500 one-time).
• Basic Wellness: The annual maximum is increasing to $4,500 (previously $4000) to cover basic wellness such as annual wellness visits, flu shots, mammograms, a wide range of bloodwork, and more! Also, you will be able to be reimbursed for three (3) annual wellness visits, instead of two (2). You can even use these visits to see a specialist (such as a cardiologist) who manages a regular part of your care.

We’ve Got You Covered

Our goal is to provide affordable and convenient care to all of our members, and we’ve done the work for you. These benefits will automatically be applied to your Health Access Benefit on January 1, 2024.

Want to make the most out of your preventive reimbursements this year? Learn about how to get good faith estimates here.

Have questions about the Preventive Care enhancements? Contact our membership support team. We’re happy to help!

As a member of Health Access Solutions, it is simple to get a free COVID-19 vaccination. We want to make sure our members not only know this, but also have the information they need if they decide that they want to access a no-cost COVID-19 vaccine. 

HAS isn’t insurance — and that’s a good thing!

Remember that your Health Access Benefit isn’t insurance, which means that, unless you are supplementing your benefit with a traditional insurance plan, you are technically “uninsured.” (Note: If you also have a traditional insurance plan, then you will need to use that insurance plan for your COVID-19 vaccination). 

Through the Bridge Access Program, uninsured adults can receive COVID-19 vaccinations for free. Similarly, the Vaccines for Children program offers free vaccinations for uninsured children, which currently includes the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Here’s how to utilize these programs, in the event that you or a family member would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. However, keep in mind that these programs may change in the future, so you’ll want to confirm on your own that the details we outline here are still current.

What do I do, if I would like a COVID-19 vaccine?

As a Health Access Member, you are empowered to make the best decisions for you and your family. If you or your family member would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the process is simple. 

Option One: Talk to your Doctor or Pharmacy

Call your primary care office, or your family’s pharmacy, explain that you do not have insurance, and confirm that they either participate in a relevant government program or they are willing to bill the federal government for your COVID-19 test (also called the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program).

If you’re seeking a vaccine for an adult, then you will need to confirm the office or pharmacy participates in the Bridge Access Program. For pediatric patients, they will need to participate in the Vaccines for Children program.

Option Two: Search Vaccines.gov

If your provider’s office is not willing to bill the federal government, or they do not participate in the relevant programs, then you can search for a provider through vaccines.gov.

This service has a search function to look for vaccine options by zip code, vaccine type, and age. After your initial search, you will have further options to narrow your search for the right providers.

To make sure you’re only seeing providers who offer no-cost vaccines, make sure you check the box “Bridge Access Program Participant.” Checking this box, along with a selection of the age of your child, will ensure the providers also offer free vaccines to children.

Once you have found a provider, you can contact them directly to schedule your vaccine. At the time of service, and after you have received your vaccine, you should not receive a bill.

If you receive a bill, contact your provider to make sure that they submitted your COVID-19 bill to the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program or otherwise sought their reimbursement through the relevant federal program.

Keep Your Family Healthy

You want to keep your family healthy, and we want to help you receive top-quality health care! If you need assistance or have any questions about your Health Access Benefits and COVID-19, contact our helpful team for more information.

Having a long-term relationship with a primary care doctor has significant benefits, like decreasing hospitalizations and surgeries, catching serious illnesses sooner, lowering one’s overall medical expenses, and even lengthening lifespans.

And yet, very few Americans see primary care doctors with any regularity. Nearly one in three people lack access to primary care services, and 40% of adults don’t go to the doctor because it’s unaffordable.

With unpredictable insurance coverage, and networks constantly changing which physicians are in and out-of-network, it’s challenging to maintain the sort of continuity of care someone needs to stay ahead of health concerns.

That’s why Health Access Solutions makes access to a consistent primary care doctor a priority for all of our members.

What is Direct Primary Care?

Our members have access to a direct primary care provider as part of their membership and pay no additional monthly fees. Direct primary care (DPC) is a membership, rather than payment-for-service, program, which matches each patient to a local or virtual primary care provider. That medical team can handle all of your routine wellness and sick visits, manage prescriptions, and make referrals, as needed, to specialists.

How do I take advantage of my DPC?

To start utilizing your primary care services, you’ll find your provider, get acquainted, and start taking steps toward your long-term health goals.

Step 1: Find Your Primary Care Provider

Most Health Access Solutions members automatically have a direct primary care provider, although some will need to select one. Check your Digital Membership Packet to find out if you need to take any action to select a primary care provider. 

Step 2: Meet Your Doctor (Optional)

Most DPCs offer a free meet-and-greet option where you can go to the office and meet the medical team before you sign up. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have about how the DPC model works and is different from other primary care models.

Some members report spending 30 minutes or more with the doctor during a meet and greet visit, that’s almost twice as long as a typical office visit at other providers!

Step 3: Set up Your Initial Patient Consultation

You will want to schedule an initial patient consultation with your primary care provider at your earliest convenience.

Members have reported that their DPC has spent over an hour with them for their initial patient consultation. These visits cover the typical items, such as taking a detailed patient history, but can also cover a wide range of topics not covered by other primary care providers.

These may include:

• Reviewing your medication and supplements and advising you on which you should be taking and where you can get better prices.
• Helping you manage your routine medical needs, such as writing prescriptions and ordering lab work.
• Flagging any concerns in your family’s medical history, and scheduling necessary screenings to stay ahead of any risks.
• Advising you on selecting and utilizing any necessary specialized care, such as an OBGYN or physical therapy.

Step 4: Access Your DPC Whenever You Need Them

A great benefit of a DPC is that you can access them as often as you need to, often with same-day or next-day appointments. Some may even offer virtual care or home visits if the situation requires it. (You can explore whether these options exist with your provider).

While your DPC does not replace emergency care, for any concerns which can wait a few hours or until the next day, they may be able to replace the use of urgent care.

Because each urgent care visit starts at around $100, and can be much more with services rendered, this rapid access to a physician can save you hundreds of dollars per need.

Step 5: Share Information, Stay Healthy, and Save Money!

With a regular primary care physician, you have a centralized and accessible resource for all of your health care questions and concerns. Any emergency or specialist physicians can easily share records, so your primary doctor maintains a holistic understanding of your health and needs.

In the long run, this will not only save you as much as 33% per year, but it will also contribute to a longer, healthier, and higher-quality life.

To start enjoying those benefits today, find your primary care provider’s contact information in your Digital Membership Packet.

When it comes to getting your roof or transmission fixed, it's common practice to collect estimates and select the service provider that offers top-notch quality at the most affordable price. While traditional insurance may have complicated matters for many people, informed consumers such as Health Access Solutions members can approach health care expenses with a similar mindset.

In 2024, our members can receive thousands of dollars per year in reimbursements for preventive care services including the following:

• Mental health services
• Tobacco cessation
• Nutrition counseling
• Physical health, like gym memberships
• Basic wellness, like wellness visits, flu shots, mammograms, bloodwork, and more

To maximize your resources and ensure your preventive funds are utilized effectively, it helps to find the most competitive prices and not overpay for any given service. Here’s how.

The Benefits of Being “Self-pay”

Traditionally insured patients are at a key disadvantage; they cannot receive self-pay discounts from health care providers. Instead, even if they request estimates or shop around, they, and their insurance companies, will often pay the fullest amount allowable by law for each procedure or service. Especially before a family has reached their annual deductible, this can be financially devastating.

On the other hand, members of Health Access Solutions are considered self-pay patients, which means they have the opportunity to request discounts from their preventive care service providers. For some health care providers, self-pay discounts can be as high as 80% off the rate charged to traditionally-insured patients and their insurers.

Our members, as self-pay patients, pay their providers directly (sometimes receiving even further discounts for paying in full at the time of service), and then submit the eligible expenses to us for reimbursement.

Finding the Best Prices for Medical Services

In addition to requesting self-pay discounts, our members also have the opportunity to shop around for “good faith estimates,” which are estimates a provider must offer for scheduled procedures, (note: emergency costs are not applicable) if you ask at least three days beforehand.

It is your right under the “No Surprises Act” of 2022, to request these estimates, and to be protected from certain unexpected charges beyond the quoted cost. 

To take full advantage of the good faith estimates available to you, you can use a tool like Healthcare BlueBook, which allows you to look up prices for procedures in your area. The first ten searches per month are free.

A more hands-on approach would be to call the billing offices of the service providers in your area, asking questions and requesting estimates, until you’ve arrived at the provider who offers the best value for your needs.

The Best Options for Affordable Wellness

Preventive care is different than emergency care in that it works according to both your schedule and your budget. With your Health Access Benefit, the right planning, and some careful research, your family can receive the preventive and wellness services you need, and use as much of your preventive care funds as possible.

Even for those costs that may exceed your preventive care maximums, these tips will make those expenses predictable and manageable, meaning that your family will never go without the preventive care you need to stay healthy.