Billing Policy

Billing@RiseUpHealthClinics.org

Policy Intentions

  • Children and students who are clients of the Rise Up Health Clinics School-Based Health Clinic (SBHC) program receive equitable care, regardless of their ability to pay

  • Reasonable effort is made to determine health insurance coverage or eligibility for health insurance coverage

  • Reasonable effort is made to determine clients’ ability to pay

  • Reasonable effort is made to ensure that clients’ rights to confidential health care services are protected

Scope

This policy applies to all clients receiving services from the Rise Up School-Based Health Clinics (SBHC).

Policy Guiding Principles

Reasonable effort will be made to determine insurance eligibility status and ability to pay, but in no manner to deter a student client from requesting services from the SBHC.   


Our mission is to provide accessible, affordable care to youth. 

  • All children are able to receive health care services in the clinic regardless of their ability to pay or their health insurance status. 

  • Rise Up Health Clinics will never initiate collection actions for any unpaid bills.

Policy

  1. Health insurance will be billed after the patient’s visit.

  2. If the patient chooses not to use their health insurance (commercial plans only) for the clinic visit, they will be billed at the self-pay rate. They will need to sign a waiver in order to bypass submitting the claim to insurance. Good Faith Estimates will be available for patients, per the Good Faith Estimate policy.   

  3. If the insurance does not contract with RUHC, the patient will be financially responsible for any balance not covered by their insurance. The patient may:

    1. Request a superbill that they can submit to insurance, OR

    2. Elect not to use insurance and be billed at the self-pay rate

  4. If the patient does not have health insurance, they will be billed at the self-pay rate (with the exception of vaccine administration costs). 

  5. The patient will receive one bill from the clinic for the amount that they owe following the clinic visit.

  6. If the patient is financially able, they will pay the bill within 30 days of the date the bill was issued.

Rise Up Health Clinics will issue bills for the health care provided at the clinic and at mobile vaccine clinics. The patient may receive a Rise Up Health Clinics bill for a variety of reasons. For example:

  • The patient may have a copay, coinsurance, or deductible 

  • The patient may not have health insurance, or RUHC may not have the patient’s current insurance information on file

  • The service the patient received may not be covered by their insurance

  • The patient  may have received care outside of their provider

  • The patient may not have obtained a required referral from their primary care provider


Patients are responsible for contacting their insurance company with any questions about any denied charges or out-of-pocket amounts that they owe.

There are options for patients if they have challenges paying the bill.

  • Contact Billing@RiseUpHealthClinics.org for payment options. OR

  • If you are unable to pay, your bill will be covered by the Rise Up Health Clinics Health Equity Fund.


Reviewed and updated 07.2025