Phoenix Children's Hospital adds insurance counselors

When parents brings kids to Phoenix Children's Hospital, their concerns often extend beyond medical care to what they are entitled to under their health-care coverage, be it an employer's plan or the state's Medicaid system. To ease that confusion, the hospital now offers Family Financial Services, with a team of certified counselors ready to help with those questions. Laura Handy-Oldham, the hospital's director of patient access, said the goal is simple: "No surprises." "We have a team that works all of the benefits and all of the eligibility up front, and they work hand in hand with our Family Financial Services team to reach out to the family beforehand so that they know what's expected of them," she said.