Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health revealed Jan. 22 that it is waiving emergency center and urgent care center copays and deductibles for federal workers who have been furloughed or are not being paid for work during the partial federal government shutdown.
The system will waive the payments, retroactive to midnight Eastern Standard Time Dec. 22, when the shutdown began. This also will apply to federal workers' insured family members, and it will remain in effect until the shutdown ends.
Beaumont Health wants to help affected workers with out-of-pocket medical costs during an uncertain time, its CEO said.
"Our mission to provide compassionate, extraordinary care every day leads us to try to take steps to help our patients and families during times of need and unique circumstances over which they have no control," Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said in a news release. "We hope this will provide some peace of mind to those who are facing hard choices until government jobs reopen and pay is restored."
The system said federal workers affected by the shutdown will be identified during the registration process, and federal workers who already received emergency or urgent care since midnight Dec. 22 can contact Beaumont Health at 248-577-9443 to adjust their bills.
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