An Untapped Market: How Marrick Medical Finance is making it possible for ASCs to increase patient volume

Health insurance in the United States has been at the forefront of political and domestic conversations for much of the past two decades. Indeed, since the Affordable Care Act has been established, more people are insured than ever before. In 2010, 37 million people in this country were uninsured; four years later, that number has dropped to 29 million, according to an issue brief by The Commonwealth Fund. More people are insured, but that still leaves a substantial portion of the population without coverage for unplanned medical expenses.

Automobile and other unexpected accidents present a major threat to this uninsured population; through no fault of their own, these patients are forced to choose between care they have not budgeted for and no care at all. Hospitals, physicians and attorneys have been wrapped up in the personal injury claim process, and all have encountered a myriad of complications. Enter: Marrick Medical.

“[Marrick Medical] was born out of a change in Colorado’s automobile insurance law,” says Perry Rickel, Marrick’s CEO. “Because of this change, people fell through the cracks and couldn’t get access to quality healthcare. So we set out to solve this problem.”

Founded in 2007, Marrick Medical has established a comprehensive medical provider network. Patients in need of care and their attorneys have access to this network of quality providers, eliminating gaps in treatment and the complication of finding quality physicians. For the medical providers, being part of this network eliminates the guesswork on when or if they will be paid.

“For the provider, this means no break in their delivery of care,” says Andy Marshall, vice president of business development. “They can take on more patients and have a clear understanding of what their reimbursement will be. Our underwriting process ensures that they have a dependable payer.  Thus, we eliminate the risk involved and they can provide the care they want to provide.”

Marrick Medical follows a simple process to ensure that all stakeholders get what they need, according to the company website:

1. Uninsured accident victims submit an application to Marrick.
2. Marrick sends authorizations to medical providers.
3. Marrick purchases medical treatments from providers.
4. Marrick works with attorneys to settle claim.

One of the most difficult treatments accident victims face are surgeries; with a high-dollar bill and no guarantee of payment, ambulatory surgery centers are reluctant to provide the needed care or refuse to do so altogether. This leaves these patients without necessary treatment, and facilities with idle OR time.

“But they do not know that a company like ours exists,” Mr. Marshall continues. “We fit very well in the ASC community.” According to the Vice President of Business Development, Marrick Medical’s underwriting process evaluates the risk so that the surgery center doesn’t have to. “We partner with [ASCs] and allow them to do more cases with a dependable payment. It’s that simple,” he adds.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.