New Fee Schedule At Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center

A new schedule of fees and a new discount rate are now in effect at the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center on St. John.
The health center’s services were not being supported by the previous rates, which had been out-dated and inadequate for some time, according to MKSCHC Administrator Harold Wallace.
“No one likes to announce price increases,” Wallace said. “But the fact is that we have to be able to support Myrah Keating financially, or we won’t be able to offer the people of St. John the services they need on island.”
While the new rates are higher, they reflect a compromise between the old fee schedule and what would be customary at the mainland, explained Wallace.
“They are based more on a customary local scale,” Wallace said.
The administrator also reminded the health care’s clients that the allowable discount rate will still apply when all payment requirements are met.
Wallace felt compelled to explain to some clients of the health center why they received bills reflecting the new rates before receiving public notice of the changes.
“Our management information systems have become very efficient,” said Wallace. “In the past, it may have taken 60 days to update the billing system with a new rate schedule, but in this case, it took only a couple of weeks.”
MKSCHC officials could not provide a list of the new fee schedule.