This Doctor Allows Patients To Pay For Surgery Through Community Service

Feb 03, 2020 by apost team

If your family has not been burdened by the rising healthcare costs in the country, you probably are aware of someone who has. Even with insurance, many patients are forced to choose between putting food on the table and seeking much-needed medical care.

When Dr. Demetrio Aguila of Healing Hands in Nebraska started to notice how many patients chose not to receive surgery because they could not pay for it, he decided to do something.

The Growing Debt

A nerve specialist who frequently saw patients lose hope in the face of medical bills, Aguila founded the M25 program. This program allows patients to volunteer in the community as payment for their medical procedures. By accepting volunteer hours as payment, M25 is directly responding to the crippling debt healthcare brings to the country.

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A Ripple Effect of Hope

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Started just six months ago, the program is already bringing hope back to patients and staff. Ten percent of patients are now taking advantage of the program. For Dr. Aguila it also relieves his conscience, taking away some of the stress of the job. He hopes to see more doctors and practices adopt similar programs.

The M25 program looks at the time and services provided by the doctors and then translates that into community service hours. If the insurance fee for a procedure is $5,000 you could pay this by completing 250 hours of community service, according to its website. In addition, anyone can donate hours on your behalf.

One of the patients, Jeff Jensen, told CBS news that “without this program, this surgery wouldn't have been done." Families are seeing the community come together to address crippling medical bills and the needs of the community. In Jensen’s case, more than 100 people came forward and donated volunteer hours for his surgery, most of whom he had never met.

This revolutionary approach has the potential to provide life saving care for families who otherwise would never be able to afford it. Maybe your family is in a similar position. Has the cost of healthcare impacted you? Tell us your story and spread the hope of Dr. Aguila’s vision for the industry.