Benefits Coordination
Our Benefits Coordinators (BC) do just that, assist patients with health benefits. Some patients come to PIMC already enrolled with Medicare (*), Private Insurance, or the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) (*) . Patients identified as having no alternate healthcare resources are contacted to explain the importance of having additional health care coverage in the form of Health Insurance. Our BCs work closely with Purchased Referred Care, Case Management, and Providers to identify programs that patients may qualify for; if one or more programs is found, the patient will be contacted and provided guidance.
Health Insurance & IHS
You may be wondering why you should consider getting health insurance when you are eligible for no-cost health care from Indian health care programs, including Indian Health Service (IHS), your tribe, or an urban Indian health program. Here are some facts to help answer those questions.
Do you also need the ihs.gov page updated the same? https://www.ihs.gov/phoenix/healthcarefacilities/phoenix/benefits-coordination/#1: IHS is Not a Form of Health Insurance
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is a part of the federal government that delivers health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and provides funds for tribal and urban Indian health programs. Health insurance, on the other hand, pays for health care covered by your plan. It protects you from paying the full costs of medical services when you are injured or sick and pays for services to prevent you from becoming ill.
#2: Even People Eligible for IHS Need Insurance
Health insurance covers many things Indian health care programs do not provide. With health insurance you can:
- Get in to see specialists that IHS cannot provide OR whose specialty are outside of IHS services
- Get health care for covered services without IHS Purchase Referred Care authorization
- Get health care when you are away from home
#3: You Can Stay with Your Indian Health Clinic
All IHS clinics gladly accept health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You won’t have to change doctors or facilities if you don’t want to, even if your state has a Medicaid managed care network.
Benefits Coordinator Hours
Monday thru Friday (except federal holidays) 7:00am to 4:00pm
Contact a Benefit Coordinator
There are many benefits coordinators around the PIMC campus that can assist you. See the below table and call the individual who most aligns with the care/coverage you need. Additionally, you can email us at PIMCBenefitsCoordination@ihs.gov for assistance. Please do not include any Personal Health Information in the email.
| Benefits Coordinators & Business Representatives |
Clinic(s) Covered: | Phone/Ext: |
|---|---|---|
| Kyla Hosteen Benefits Coordinator Lead |
Emergency/Admissions/Centers of Excellence (COE)/ Center for Specialized Care (CSC)/Same Day Surgery(SDS)/Procedure Room |
602-581-6764 |
| Vivian Morris Benefits Coordinator Lead |
COE/Center of Specialized Care/ED | 602-581-6866 602-284-0993 |
| Sharon Morgan | Women’s Clinic/OB Ultrasound/Admissions | 602-859-4925 602-581-6950 |
| Lisa Montana | Pediatric Clinic | 602-581-6611 |
| Harriet Begay | Same Day Surgery (SDS)/Purchase Referred Care (PRC)/Emergency | 602-768-8567 |
| KeeAnn Soliz | Women's Clinic | 602-581-6435 602-299-5416 |
| Tanya Yellowhair | Emergency/Podiatry/Physical Therapy/Orthopedics | 602-339-6554 |
| Jacqueline Siquieros | Specialty Clinic/Admissions/Procedure Room | 602-681-6817 480-387-2852 |
| Marty Todacheenie | Behavioral Health/Admissions/Pediatrics/Same Day Surgery | 602-387-2859 |
| Violet Rodriquez | Admissions | 602-581-6029 602-768-0886 602-245-1328 |
| Donna Ganther | Dental Main/Dental Annex | 602-581-6696 |
| Berlinda Reid | Primary Care Medicine Clinic | 602-581-6674 602-284-0993 |
| Alberta Riley | Emergency Room | 602-581-6193 |
