Frequently Asked Questions

As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we are unique to the delivery of health care. We are the only FQHC serving the extreme southwest counties in Missouri. Due to our unique structure, we are frequently asked the following...

This depends upon the clinic you wish to access. As of 2025, our Monett Medical Clinic is Medicaid, Medicare, and self-pay only. Our Lamar Dental Clinic prefers Medicaid, but will accept some private plans. Most of our other locations accept private insurance plans. To protect your own interests, we recommend you call the telephone number provided by your insurance carrier and ask if ACCESS Family Care is “in network.” If you get a commitment from your insurance plan, it should prevent payment issues down the road.

Deeming Notice/Federal Tort Claims Act
Ozark Tri-County Healthcare Consortium (dba ACCESS Family Care), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), is deemed by the Bureau of Primary Health Care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be a federal employee for purposes of medical malpractice claims and, as such, qualified for protection under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).

This health center receives U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.

According to the FTCA requirements, medical malpractice claims against the health center are reviewed and/or litigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An individual who has a claim against the health center is to file an administrative claim with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the following address:

Office of the General Counsel 
General Law Division Claims and Employment Law Branch 
330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 4760 
Washington, DC 20201 
Attention: CLAIMS
Phone No.: 202-619-0150

If you don’t have health insurance or you plan to pay for health care bills yourself, generally, health care providers and facilities must give you an estimate of expected charges when you schedule an appointment for a health care item or service, or if you ask for an estimate. This is called a “good faith estimate.”

A good faith estimate isn’t a bill.

The good faith estimate shows the list of expected charges for items or services from your provider or facility. Because the good faith estimate is based on information known at the time that your provider or facility creates the estimate, it won’t include any unknown or unexpected costs that may be added during your treatment. Generally, the good faith estimate must include expected charges for:

The primary item or service.
Any other items or services you’re reasonably expected to get as part of the primary item or service for that period of care.

The estimate might not include every item or service you get from another provider or facility, even if some items or services may seem connected to the same service. For example, if you’re getting surgery, the good faith estimate could include the cost of the surgery, anesthesia, any lab services, or tests.

In some cases, items or services related to the surgery that are scheduled separately, like certain pre-surgery appointments or physical therapy in the weeks after the surgery, might not be included in the good faith estimate. You’ll get a separate good faith estimate when you schedule those items or services with the provider or facility, or if you ask for it.

Providers and facilities must give you the good faith estimate:

After you schedule a health care item or service. If you schedule an item or service at least 3 business days before the date you’ll get the item or service, the provider must give you a good faith estimate no later than 1 business day after scheduling. If you schedule the item or service OR ask for cost information about it at least 10 business days before the date you get the item or service, the provider or facility must give you a good faith estimate no later than 3 business days after you schedule or ask for the estimate.
That includes a list of each item or service (with the provider or facility), and specific details, like the health care service code.
In a way that’s accessible to you, like in large print, Braille, audio files, or other forms of communication. Providers and facilities must also explain the good faith estimate to you over the phone or in person if you ask, then follow up with a written (paper or electronic) estimate, per your preferred form of communication.

Keep the estimate in a safe place so you can compare it to any bills you get later. After you get a bill for the items or services, if the billed amount is $400 or more above the good faith estimate, you may be eligible to dispute the bill.

ACCESS Family Care provides a wide range of services to the people of southwest Missouri. We have Certified Application Counselors (CACs) and Navigators, who will serve anyone with questions about Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act insurance plans. To be clear, we are not insurance agents. We do not sell insurance plans; we just offer advice and support to any person in our service region.

We also have Community Health Workers, who serve our patients with access to various resources. Our Community Health Workers work with our patients to connect them to social services.

We take “service” seriously. We commit to going above and beyond to serve the needs of our patients. Any person with concerns, comments, or needs is asked to email us at: info@accessfamilycare.org

Frequently Asked Questions

As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we are unique to the delivery of Healthcare. We are the only FQHC serving the extreme southwest Counties, in Missouri. Due to our unique structure, we are frequently asked the following...

Deeming Notice/Federal Tort Claims Act
Ozark Tri-County Healthcare Consortium (dba Access Family Care), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), is deemed by the Bureau of Primary Health Care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be a federal employee for purposes of medical malpractice claims and, as such, qualified for protection under the Federal Tort Claims Act.