What is the Victor Rivera Foundation?
The Victor Rivera Foundation is a 501(c)(3) created in the state of Texas to provide MS care to those in need of access to neurologic and neuro-eye services. This includes individuals who are underinsured, may have a high deductible or lack health care benefits. The Victor Rivera Foundation strives to ensure that all people with MS receive the highest quality care regardless of their ability to pay.
How will the Victor Rivera Foundation achieve its mission?
The Victor River Foundation will reimburse health professionals working at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence (a for-profit clinic) who demonstrate they provided unreimbursed care to people in need. The foundation has three goal areas:
- To provide under resourced people of all ethnicities living with MS access to neurologic and neuro-eye services. This includes individuals who are underinsured, may have a high deductible or lack health care benefits.
- To ensure people with MS and similar diseases receive current and proven neurologic and neuro-eye protocols.
- To promote mentoring of bilingual MS healthcare professionals through support for professionals working at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence.
What type of care will the foundation support?
The foundation strives to reduce financial barriers to care for underinsured patients with Multiple Sclerosis. It will reimburse Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence health professionals for patients who have met the foundation’s standards for inability to pay and no other funds for reimbursement can be found for need services in these areas:
- Newly diagnosed consultations
- Second opinion for patients requiring confirmation of the initial diagnosis and adequacy of ongoing treatment.
- MRI’s and other tests where no other reimbursement can be found.
- Standard MS ongoing care coordination provided in a physician’s office
- Standard neuro-eye ongoing care provided in a physician’s office
- Tests provided in a physician’s office
- Eye exam and consultations
What are examples of care will the foundation not support?
In general, services not billed through the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence or its affiliate groups are not covered by the Foundation, these include but are not limited to:
- Medications and pharmaceutical treatments
- Durable Medical Equipment
- Home health aide/care
- Care covered by insurance or other third-party coverage
- Tests provided outside a physician’s office
- Copays for prescription drugs
- Health insurance premiums
- Deductibles
- Travel costs
- Non-medical expenses such as rent, electricity, or phone service
Partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and other avenues such as other foundations or government programs will be leveraged to ensure proper pharmaceutical treatment and access for all in need.
In all cases of foundation support, all other options for funding patient care must be explored first. The Foundation will consider reimbursing under a reduced rate where no other options are possible.
Reimbursement is based on the foundation’s available resources. Decisions related to what will be reimbursed can be adjusted by the board of the foundation based on the foundation’s resources and ability to reimburse for care. The foundation board establishes the criteria to use for financial determination. The intent is for this to be a simple process. It includes asking patients to pay a portion of the cost based on their ability.
If a patient has a neurologist will the foundation reimburse their doctor?
The foundation is structured to support neurological services delivered at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence.
Do patients need to have clinically definite or clinically suspected MS to qualify for foundation support?
Yes, those with suspected or established diagnosis would qualify to be seen at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence and to be evaluated as to eligibility for reimbursed services from the Victor Rivera Foundation. For qualified patients who meet a certain set of criteria, support would be provided to provide a diagnosis through the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence.
What makes a person eligible for foundation support?
The Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence, located at 5400 Bissonnet St, suite A, Bellaire, TX 77401, will conduct an intake process based on the Victor Rivera Foundation criteria to determine patient care that would qualify to be submitted to the foundation for approval of support. Preapproval is needed for payment to medical professionals. The foundation will provide support regardless of citizenship status.
How can patients explore support for medical care through the Victor Rivera Foundation?
The first step is to contact the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence for an intake evaluation. This evaluation will review what services might be needed by the patient and what payment resources are available or if reimbursement for some or all of the anticipated services may be pre-approved by the Victor Rivera Foundation. This is a simple process intended to ensure speedy attention to the patient’s needs. The graph shows the process to follow to seek support from the Victor Rivera Foundation.
