PVCC Puma Press

AHCCCS an option for college students
By Sandra Hoopes, November 2009
Lifestyle Editor

“It starts out like the regular flu, then hits you like a train,” says Jason Bingener when describing his recent bout with the H1N1 virus. Bingener was lucky. Friends and family found him unconscious with an extremely high fever and called 911.

After receiving treatment at a hospital, Bingener woke up to face the hard reality….he does not have health insurance. Like many young adults who find themselves in a sort of “no man’s land,” too old for their parent’s health plan but not yet established in a career that provides benefits, Bingener was left with a very large bill and no way to pay for it.

While politicians debate the future of national healthcare, the State of Arizona is already helping low income, uninsured Arizonans that find themselves in need of medical care.

There was someone at the hospital to sign Bingener up for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. This system ensures that thousands of Arizonans can receive medical services. That “someone” for patients at John C. Lincoln Hospital, Deer Valley is Audrey Fletcher. As an eligibility interviewer for AHCCCS, Fletcher represents the Arizona Department of Economic Security while working on-site at the west side hospital.

“No one who is injured or ill is denied medical care” assures Fletcher.

After a patient has been evaluated by a doctor, Fletcher is able to counsel them on the application process to receive AHCCCS assistance.

“If an individual is admitted to the hospital for in-patient care after emergency treatment, we will submit the AHCCCS application for them,” says Fletcher.
If they are released, Fletcher and her colleagues will provide them all the necessary applications, phone numbers and contacts they will need to apply for themselves.

The most important information the patient needs to supply at the time of application is proof of U.S. citizenship, Arizona residency and proof of income and property value as well as proof of living expenses. It is very important to the application process to have all of the available records. Since most people don’t carry around their birth certificate, Fletcher says the hospital may file for a copy on behalf of patients who are admitted for in-patient care.

“People who are not injured or ill should not go to the hospital to sign up for AHCCCS,” says Fletcher.
Instead they should go to their local Department of Economic Security Office, which is assigned by zip code or apply on-line.

One nontraditional student who has experience applying for DES assistance says, “Everyone I know who has applied on-line has had difficulty.”

Returning to school after the loss of employment, he warns that the process for AHCCCS acceptance can be long and frustrating. He recommends taking every document you can think of when applying, everything from rental agreements and utility bills to car titles and proof of child support payments, even documents that are not requested on the list provided by DES.

“If you think there is a chance it will be helpful, take it,” he recommends.

Peter Miranda, a DES employee at the Bell Road and Third Street office, confirms the need to bring every document with you. The amount of assistance an applicant is eligible for largely depends on how much income the household receives versus how many debts or obligations the household must pay.

The first step in the qualification process is to fill out a DES application says Miranda. When the application is returned, an appointment will be made to see a DES adviser who will request all of the required documentation. It can take up to two weeks just to see the adviser and anywhere from four-to-six weeks more for final approval.

“The lines are long, especially in today’s economy,” says Miranda, “and any missing documentation can add weeks to the process.”

Other services are offered by the Department of Economic Security. Here is a list of important phone numbers and Web site addresses: