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Financial Hardship Policy

Ascension Wisconsin has taken the following steps to ensure the care patients receive does not add an
undue financial burden during the COVID pandemic:

  • Patients who are uninsured will not be billed for COVID-19 related testing or treatment
  • Patients who are insured will not be billed for out-of-pocket expenses (ex: copays) related to COVID-19 testing or treatment
  • Financial assistance applications will be valid for one year to reduce the burden of re-application
  • Our payment grace period has been extended to four months (120 days). Patients who are unable to make their monthly payments, should call the number listed on their billing statement to have a hold placed on their account.

As the economic impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve, Ascension Wisconsin is diligently monitoring the situation to ensure we are protecting our patients, associates and the communities we are privileged
to serve.

For additional information on financial assistance in Ascension Wisconsin please visit:
https://healthcare.ascension.org/Financial-Assistance/Wisconsin.

Ascension Wisconsin Mobile Testing Sites – NOW OPEN

Please note: These sites are by appointment only. Individuals who wish to be tested must first be pre-screened by an Ascension Medical Group provider, by phone, or virtually using Ascension Online Care.

Screening Requirements

Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin is launching drive-through testing for COVID-19. Individuals who
wish to be tested must first be pre-screened by an Ascension Medical Group provider, by phone, or
virtually using Ascension Online Care – ascension.org/OnlineCare.

The screening involves answering a series of questions about symptoms, travel history and any potential
contact with COVID-19 patients. Patients who meet the criteria, which is based on guidance from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be given an appointment for drive-through testing at
the appropriate site.

Testing Information

At the testing site, patients will remain in their vehicles at all times. An Ascension associate will look up
the patient’s information in the electronic health record to confirm that they have been screened and
require testing. Insurance information will be collected for follow-up purposes if it’s not already entered
into the electronic health record. An Ascension associate will confirm that the patient has an established
Ascension provider. There is no upfront charge for the testing.

Nasal swab samples will be collected and sent to a state-approved laboratory for analysis, which can
take up to one week. Patients will be provided this information at the time of testing. Ascension Medical
Group Wisconsin will contact patients with results. Positive results will be alerted to the Wisconsin
Department of Health.

Site locations

  • Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – Franklin Campus (Medical Office Building)
  • Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Milwaukee – Gateway Clinic (West Allis)
  • Ascension St. Francis Medical Arts Pavilion (Milwaukee)
  • Ascension Wisconsin Health Center – Mount Pleasant Urgent Care
  • Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – Mayfair Road Urgent Care (Wauwatosa)
  • Grafton High School
  • Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – St. Joseph Campus (Milwaukee) – OPENED TUESDAY (3/24)
  • Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – Elmbrook Campus (Brookfield) – OPENED TUESDAY (3/24)

Additional locations will open later this week in Stevens Point, Rhinelander and Crandon.

REMINDERS

Ascension Wisconsin Virtual Visitation

To help minimize the impact of COVID-19, we’re limiting visitors in our hospitals. Effective March 21,
2020, in-person visitation has been temporarily stopped. We encourage family members and friends of
patients in our care to stay connected with their loved ones by virtual visitation. Our goal is to protect
our associates and those we are privileged to serve by limiting possible exposure to COVID-19 and
directing people to the right level of care.

There will be some exceptions on a case-by-case basis, including labor and delivery, pediatrics, neonatal
intensive care (NICU) and end-of-life care.

We understand that during this time it is important to stay connected to your loved ones and remain
aware of their status while hospitalized. We encourage any potential visitors to use alternate methods of communication to stay in contact with loved ones, such as calling, video chatting, or texting.

The following apps can be used to help people connect virtually with their loved ones: Facebook
Messenger, Facetime, Google hangouts, Google Duo, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber or Signal. These can be
downloaded in either the App Store (iPhone) or the Play Store (Android). Both patients and visitors will
need to download the same application. Access to guest wi-fi at Ascension Wisconsin facilities is
available by connecting to AH-Guest.

The updated restricted visitation policy at Ascension Wisconsin also includes the following:

  • All visitors, associates, clinicians, and vendors entering Ascension Wisconsin facilities will be screened for flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion and or sore throat.
  • No visitors who screen positive for cough, fever or difficulty breathing will be permitted into the facility.
  • To implement this, Ascension Wisconsin facilities will be implementing minimized entrance points as needed.
  • Visitors under the age of 18 will not be permitted.

We appreciate the community’s support in adhering to these guidelines, as we continue to care for people who are most in need during these unprecedented times.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donations Now Being Accepted by Ascension Wisconsin

Ascension Wisconsin is now accepting donations for personal protective equipment. Individuals or companies interested in making a donation should contact Ascension Wisconsin’s Foundation partners at AscensionWIFoundations@ascension.org. Once the donation is confirmed, arrangements will be made to pick up the donation and deliver it to the appropriate Ascension Wisconsin facility.

Supplies being requested for donation:

  • Isolation Gowns
  • Earloop or Tie Masks
  • N95 Respirators
  • Hand Sanitizers
  • Face Shields
  • Surface disinfectants
  • Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
  • Controlled Air Purifying Respirators (CAPR)
  • Other approved PPE supplies advised by the CDC

Please, do not drop-off PPE donations at Ascension Wisconsin facilities. The Ascension Wisconsin Foundation team will work directly with individuals and companies to assess each donation.

At this time, Ascension Wisconsin cannot accept donations that are handmade (ex: sewn face masks)
and is working with local and state health officials to determine if such items could be an option in the
future. Ascension Wisconsin is following the updated CDC guidelines regarding suspected and confirmed
COVID-19 cases and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The safety of our patients, associates and providers is our utmost priority as we all work to slow the transmission of COVID-19 and care for all those in need.

Ascension Wisconsin Toll-Free Information Line:

Ascension Wisconsin has established a dedicated telephone resource for COVID-19 questions. This can
be accessed 24/7 by calling 1-833-981-0711. The launch of this service is intended to provide useful
information to people in the communities we are privileged to serve who have questions about COVID-19. The hotline is an effort to reduce the number of incoming calls to our hospitals and clinics.
We ask that this resource only be used for questions about COVID-19 and its symptoms. If you are
experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 9-1-1.

Elective Surgeries Postponed

In order to protect against potential COVID-19 exposure, and to ensure the availability of resources to
meet emergent health needs during this pandemic, Ascension Wisconsin is following guidance by the
CDC, the U.S. Surgeon General, and American College of Surgeons and postponing elective services and
non-urgent medical appointments.

Our top priorities are the health and safety of our patients, associates, and visitors. Ascension providers
will continue to provide emergency surgeries and procedures and clinically evaluate time-sensitive care
delivery needs. We recognize that each case is unique, so processes are in place to review requests for
procedures that might be considered elective to determine issues of optimal timing and resource
support.

Elective procedures are those that have options in terms of timing/level of urgency to be completed, or
are determined non-essential at this time.

Examples of postponed services include:

  • Nonurgent procedures that would require intensive care unit (ICU) care
  • Elective procedures that post-procedure would require occupancy in an inpatient hospital bed
  • Elective procedures on high-risk patients whereby post-procedure status may require occupancy in an inpatient hospital bed
  • Elective procedures on any patient
  • Annual Wellness Visits Well Child Visits (when immunization is not involved)

Any impacted patients will be notified directly. As cases of COVID-19 increase, Ascension continues to diligently monitor the situation to ensure we are protecting our patients, associates, and the communities we are privileged to serve.

What should people do if they think they may have symptoms or have been exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Anyone who believes they may have had contact with someone who is confirmed to have, or is being
evaluated for, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), should contact their physician.

To help prevent the spread of disease, the CDC recommends that individuals call ahead before going to
a doctor’s office or emergency room and inform clinical staff about symptoms and any recent travel.

Our healthcare professionals will work with public health and CDC to determine if you need to be tested
for COVID-19.

Consider Virtual Care

During this time, with many individuals who may be working from home, or who have children who are
at home and out of school, or individuals who are working shifts at various times of day that may make it
difficult to take off work to see a doctor, it may be a good time to consider ‘virtual care’ — an option for
patients with low-acuity, urgent care issues who would like a virtual visit with a provider using the mobile device of their choice, smartphone, laptop or tablet.

Ascension Online Care offers visits with a doctor 24/7 from work, travel or home. Use code HOME for a
discounted $20 visit during the month of March. Download the app at www.ascension.org/onlinecare.
Available in all 50 states. No insurance required.