November - January Pay What You Can Fund Updates
I've been thinking about starting a Pay What You Can Fund since 2020. I actually went so far as to speak with an attorney about the steps and requirements for starting a non-profit organization for this exact purpose.
Ultimately I decided not to start a non-profit due to the administrative and time burden of running one. I don't want my job to be running a non-profit. I want my job to be providing the care. My attorney at the time recommended that I start a private fund, do private fundraising, and hold myself to high standards of reporting.
I didn't have the capacity to take that on at the time, but it's 2024, and I'm back, baby!
I'd like subsidized community care to be an ongoing part of my practice. The mainstream healthcare system is beyond screwed up. This week alone I've spoken with patients about: long wait times, high deductibles, confusing billing structures, and burned out healthcare providers saying and doing harmful things. It shouldn't be like this, but I don't have any control over what happens **gestures wildly** out there. I can only change **circles hands in front of me** in here. And with that, here are the numbers since I started fundraising in November 2023. (If you want to know about the total pro bono care I've done in the last year, scroll to the bottom.) If this doesn't interest you, no problem! This fundraising push is done at the end of next week.
First, a quick rundown of how the fund works:
Full Priced Treatment Pricing Structure:
I offer two appointment costs: initial evaluations at $275 and follow-up treatments at $195. When the fund is being utilized, all visits cost the same amount and there are suggested tiers for cost - $0, $75, $125, $175 (This is primarily for ease of applying - any amount is great and an option.)
Application for Financial Assistance:
Patients who cannot afford the standard fees can apply for financial assistance. This process is designed to be simple and respectful, ensuring privacy and dignity.
Priority to BIPOC and TNB Individuals:
While the fund aims to support all who need it, priority is extended to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and Transgender, Non-Binary (TNB) individuals. This approach recognizes and addresses the disproportionate financial and healthcare barriers faced by these communities.
Subsidizing Patient Care:
If a patient's contribution is less than $100, the "Pay What You Can" fund covers the difference up to the $100 mark. For instance, a $50 payment from a patient would lead to a $50 contribution from the fund. If the patient's contribution is $100+, no money is withdrawn from the fund.
Here are the visit numbers, the amount used from the fund, and the amount of money raised for the fund since November:
Number of Pay What You Can Visits Per Month: This line chart (in blue) shows the revised number of visits for each month, giving a clear picture of the patient utilization of the "Pay What You Can" program.
Red Line: The amount taken from the fund each month since November
Green line: What the total value of the visits have been at full price
Ultimately, in this 2.5ish month time span, $1330 of care was provided for 6 visits with only $325 taken from the fund. How cool is that?!
All told, the fund has raised $3,745.
Last year, I gave away 76 free visits. I loved every minute of it, but it isn't sustainable for me to keep doing it that way. Rather than stop giving away care or limiting it significantly, I'm asking for your help to help me subsidize the cost for folks who deserve high quality, trauma informed pelvic healthcare that can't access it through the mainstream medical model.