Can’t pay that medical expense? Just ask, a discount may be available

When Yampa Valley residents struggle with too-high medical costs for everything from lab tests to necessary screenings to new prescriptions, one important step is simply to ask if a healthcare discount program is available for that need. “My recommendation is to reach out to some of these programs and see what they can find that makes it affordable,” said Dr. Barbara Novotny, medical director and physician at South Routt Medical Center in Oak Creek. Novotny said nonprofit medical clinics — including South Routt Medical Center and Northwest Colorado Health in Craig and Steamboat Springs — can provide primary and family care on a discounted sliding scale based on household income. South Routt Medical Center also offers a 30% discount for self-pay. Northwest Colorado Health offers financial assistance programs so that cost concerns do not prevent people from seeking care.

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