What does a sliding scale mean and how does it work?

To make services accessible for all clients, CWHC offers all services on a sliding scale.

The sliding scale works equitably when each client pays as much as they are able; this allows clients who can’t pay much or at all to still access services. We never want payment to cause financial hardship. All clients have the option to set up a payment plan, and no one is turned away due to an inability to pay

When you arrive for your appointment, we will use your total income and household size to determine your suggested visit fee. No proof of income or other documentation is required. Before you agree to services, we will estimate your visit cost, which does not include lab costs. (Lab costs will be discussed with you during the visit.).

We believe cost should never be a barrier to receiving necessary care. Our sliding scale is in place to make services more accessible, and we recognize the complexity of personal financial circumstances. Please let your provider or staff know if your suggested fee would cause a hardship, and we’ll work with you to set up a payment plan or find an affordable fee.

CWHC’s sliding scale is rooted in our core values of justice, self-determination, and accessibility. If you would like to learn more about the sliding scale, give us a call at 773-935-6126.

Can I pay for services online?

Currently gynecology clients, trans health clients, and counseling clients can pay for services online. Following your visit, you will receive a statement from Athena Health, which is CWHC's electronic health records platform, either by email or by letter. That statement will include the location of the Quick Pay Portal as well as a single-use unique code that you can use to pay on your statement balance. If you choose, you may also set up an Athena portal account, which will allow you to view and pay balances, review lab results, and contact your provider.

Click here to access the Quick Pay Portal.

Click here to set up your Athena Health account.

If you have any questions or trouble using this process, please email billing@chicagowomenshealthcenter.org. We will do our best to reply within two business days.

Note: For acupuncture, massage, and physical therapy clients, payment using CWHC’s sliding scale will occur at the time of your visit.

Can I use insurance to pay for my visit?

As of November 1, 2017, we accept (are in-network with) Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Humana PPO, and United PPO insurance plans for our gynecological care and trans health services.

A Note on Lab Costs

• You may receive 2 separate bills for your visit, one from us for visit and one from LabCorp for labs.

• What you will owe, if anything, for your labs is determined by your insurance company. LabCorp will bill you for that amount.

• For more details visit the LabCorp website Billing & Insurance section.

Paying for a visit

We accept cash, checks, money orders, and debit and credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, and Discover) as payment. Payment plans are available for some of our services.

Gynecology & Trans Health Services

The sliding scale for each visit depends on the visit type and tests done in the visit. Each visit has a full fee, which can slide down to a minimum fee. You will be asked to pay as much as you can towards the full fee, and we will ask you to determine what that is. Payment plans are also available. Labs have separate set fees.

To find out the cost for your particular visit, please contact us to discuss your health care needs. Your health care provider will also discuss cost with you during the visit, enabling you to participate in these decisions and ensuring that cost will never be a surprise to you.

Counseling Services

Appointments are offered based on current availability. Sliding scale counseling fees are set during the intake visit as a discussion between the client and the intake counselor. The full fee is $150/session, and slides based on total household income and the number of individuals supported by that income. We ask our clients who can pay more to pay more, so that we can continue to offer counseling services from this payment model.

The Counseling Program is in network with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois' PPO Plan. Clients with other insurance coverage for counseling may request statements and receipts from CWHC. Your counselor, along with CWHC's Billing Specialist, will help you self-submit these for payment reimbursement.

Outreach and Education Services

Please contact Scout Bratt, OE Program Director, at sb@chicagowomenshealthcenter.org to discuss pricing. Sliding scale fees are available for organizations and schools with limited budgets. Multi-session classes may require different rates. Please contact the Outreach & Education Program at 773-935-6126 x230 to discuss your fee.