FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 2, 2020 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
health
Northwell Health to delay payments for
patients fi nancially impacted by pandemic
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Northwell Health announced it would
delay payments with zero percent interest
for a minimum of 60 days for patients who
receive medical services and have been
enduring fi nancial distress as a result of
the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Northwell Health, New York state’s largest
A Paradox and Aging
According to Merriam Webster’s
Dictionary, the term “paradox” is a statement
“that seems contrary to common
sense and yet is perhaps true.”
Th e following is a composite of questions
that elderly citizens oft en ask about
growing old and acquiring multiple illnesses.
“Is it inevitable?” “Will I have the
strength to cope with physical demands
of everyday life?” “Will my body continue
to be able to fend off disease?” “Will I
be able to respond to unforeseen emergencies?
“Will I be able to count on a
sound mind in a sound body?” “Will my
ability to think straight and to remember
be undermined by the aging process?”
“Can I do anything about what
happens to my body as I age or must I
resign myself to an old age that is inevitably
fraught with ill health and a series of
organ failures and loss?”
As we grow old we tend to be more
concerned about the functioning of our
bodies. We notice each change in our
appearance. We question our abilities.
We become preoccupied with the physical
as well as mental conditions as a
vital topic for discussion about the psychology
of later life. We begin to ask our
friends and the professionals whether
poor health is really synonymous with
old age and what changes in our bodies
are not always brought about by change
alone.
We oft en associate being old with being
ill. Th ere is, undoubtedly, more physical
impairment and illness among 80-yearolds
than among men and women half
a century younger. Certain conditions
are especially common among elders.
Arthritis is but one of several examples
of the type of physical distress usually
described as “chronic” and encountered
more frequently among the elderly.
It is easy, but not accurate, to conclude
that old age by itself is a kind of generalized
illness. Let us see why this conclusion
is off the mark, and whether there is
an alternate view.
We do not necessarily become vulnerable
to all types of physical affl iction as we
grow older. Asthma, hay fever and peptic
ulcers, for example, are conditions that
affl ict young and old equally. Results of
an offi cial national health survey actually
showed a decreased incidence of certain
illnesses among adults aged 45 and over.
Th e fact that diseases respond well to effi -
cient medical treatment sheds doubt on
the glib assumption that old age and illness
are the same thing.
Many of us, at all age levels, lose functional
capacity for reasons that cannot
always be blamed on illness.
Th e person who cannot walk up a fl ight
of stairs without huffi ng and puffi ng may
be out of shape as a result of a sedentary
lifestyle.
Loss in various capacities may begin
fairly early in adult life, long before a person
is supposed to be “growing old,” and
what’s causing a disease. Th is means that
a low level of functional capacity in an
elderly person is not necessarily the result
of old age or disease that is part and parcel
of old age.
One must then ask, what are the eff ects
of old age on its own, apart from physical
illness and the eff ects of an unhealthy
life style? Is there a biological process
Dr. Sheldon Ornstein is a
registered professional nurse
with a doctoral degree in
nursing organization. He
has specialized in the care
of older adults and has
published many articles on
the subject. He has done
post-graduate work in gerontology
and has taught at several
universities. In 2013, he
was inducted into the Nursing
Hall of Fame at Teachers
College, Columbia University.
that could be shown as normal aging, a
process partly hidden by additional defi -
cits brought on by disease, accidents and
unhealthy life habits? Th is is the view of
many gerontologists.
A fi nal thought on living a healthy old
age. As you watch television you will
come to notice the repetitive advertising
that suggest that only the young are
healthy. Such advertising is misleading
and can needlessly resign the aging
population to believe that any illness
they may acquire is due to their growing
old. Th is is nothing further from
the truth!
Sheldon Ornstein Ed.D, RN, LNHA
Photo courtesy of Northwell Health
Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider and the state’s largest private
employer, is delaying payments with zero percent interest for a minimum of 60 days for patients
who receive medical services and have been fi nancially impacted from the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic.
health care provider and the state’s
largest private employer, has been on the
frontline and among the fi rst U.S. health
systems to test and treat for COVID-19.
Th e health system said they’re taking
a fi nancial step to help alleviate the economic
pressure and stress many families
are experiencing as a result of the coronavirus
crisis.
“We are fi rst and foremost an organization
committed to the health and well-being
of the communities we serve,” said
Richard Miller, Northwell’s executive vice
president and chief business strategy offi -
cer. “We live and work here too and are
cognizant of the impact the virus is having
on people’s physical, mental and fi nancial
health. All of these things are connected.
We pride ourselves on being a partner
with those we serve and being part of
the solution to the challenges we collectively
face.”
According to Miller, the initiative is an
extension of Northwell’s already robust
fi nancial assistance programs, which
include payment plan options.
“We’ve always worked with our patients,
devising programs that are consistent with
their ability to pay,” Miller said. “It’s something
we’ve had in place for many years.”
Northwell’s fi nancial assistance programs
apply to individuals making up
to 500 percent of federal poverty guidelines,
exceeding New York state regulations
requiring fi nancial assistance for
those earning up to 300 percent of the
federal benchmarks.
“We will delay payments for a minimum
of 60 days for those impacted
fi nancially by this crisis and, as always,
work with them aft erwards,” Miller said.
“Th e important thing to remember is
that nobody should delay needed medical
services because of their ability to
pay. If you’re experiencing any kind of
fi nancial hardship whether it’s related to
COVID-19 or other factors, the important
thing is to contact us. We will always
work with you.”
For those individuals seeking fi nancial
assistance with Northwell Health hospital
payments, or need to delay payments
due to lost wages or other fi nancial hardship
caused by COVID-19, call 888-214-
4066.
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