C-TAC Member Spotlight: Accessia Health
The U.S. economic burden of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer, has reached about $3.8 trillion in direct and indirect costs—or nearly one-fifth of GDP, according to a new report from Fitch Solutions. As the baby boomer population ages, that figure is expected to double within the next 30 years. Americans are struggling to access healthcare. 21% of U.S working-age adults in 2020 didn’t visit a doctor or fill a prescription and 19% skipped recommended care to avoid healthcare costs. Accessia Health is committed to helping patients who struggle with those financial burdens. The organization has distributed over $1.1 billion to patients throughout the country, helping them navigate their way through the complexities of the healthcare system. And in 2020 alone, nearly 15,000 patients from every state in the U.S. shared $56 million in financial assistance from Accessia Health.Accessia Health, formerly Patient Services, Inc. (P.S.I.), is a pioneer in nonprofit patient assistance for people with rare and chronic medical conditions. Founded by patients for patients, Accessia Health is leading the charge in providing financial support and guidance for qualified individuals by offering healthcare education, financial assistance, specialized legal services, and case management.
The organization’s health safety net includes specialized legal services, insurance case management, and financial support to pay for health insurance premiums, medication copayments, medical treatments, travel, and most ancillary medical expenses.
With over 30 years of experience, Accessia Health is uniquely positioned to care for the whole individual while partnering with others in the healthcare industry to expand programs and services. Accessia Health is the only patient assistance program offering ACCESS, a free disability legal aid program providing nationwide legal representation for SSDI and SSI applications with a 75% success rate (compared to the national average of 34%).
“Accessia Health is thrilled to join C-TAC and unite with like-minded individuals in their mission dedicated to ensuring that Americans dealing with rare and chronic medical conditions receive care,” said Gwen Cooper, President & CEO of Accessia Health. “What a great partnership of two organizations both rooted in helping people and improving health outcomes.”
The number of people ages 85 and older is projected to nearly triple from 6.7 million in 2020 to 19.0 million by 2060. They must be able to obtain care. Working with C-TAC allows Accessia Health to engage and collaborate with its member organizations, all working to improve access to care and move the needle.
For more information about Accessia Health and its services, visit www.accessiahealth.org or find Accessia Health on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
THORO CARE is a social impact startup to help seniors age in place with independence and dignity. In the United States, 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day and researchers estimate that 70% of these Baby Boomers will need some sort of assistance as they age. Pre-pandemic, over 90% of seniors wanted to age in place and the pandemic has only increased that desire.
Healthcare Hospitality Network (HHN) is a nationwide professional member association with a mission “to support healthcare hospitality homes through connection, education, and advocacy to be more effective in their service to patients and their caregivers”.
The Mission of Partners in Care Foundation (Partners) is to align social care and health care to address the social determinants of health and equity disparities affecting diverse, under-served and vulnerable populations.