VCHC Health Access Fund

The part can never be well unless the whole is well.  -Plato

As the cost of treatments with Health Care Practitioners increases, the VCHC Health Access Fund was a program designed to allow members that are in financial difficulty to have access to Integrative Health Care. As a community, and co-operative, we feel that it is our mission to ensure access for everyone to the level of health care that they deserve and require. The VCHC, in partnership with local businesses and Member-Practitioners have set up systems to allow for the collection of money to contribute to this fund.

A Community of Support

We currently have several socially responsible businesses in the community that are donating 5-10% of the sales that VCHC members are purchasing directly into the Health Access Fund. Member-Practitioners that are currently active Health Care Practitioners in Victoria are also donating 5-10% of their fees from VCHC member treatments back into the Health Access Fund. We are also allowing individuals within the Community to make one-time contributions to the Fund as well. Through this initiative we have Community Business, Community Health Practitioners and Community Members all donating monies back into supporting the health of their community through the VCHC Health Access Fund.

The money in the Fund is used to provide treatment to those individuals in the community who cannot afford Integrative Health Care. These individuals will apply to the VCHC Health Access Fund Committee and arrange a meeting with a panel, including the individual themselves, several Committee Members and a VCHC Health Navigator.

A Collaborative Approach

The Health Navigators role is to assist in the determination of which modalities of health care are best suited for the individual. In collaboration, this group put together a healing plan that outlines the treatment plan and goals, including which practitioners would best meet the needs of the individual. The cost of this treatment is calculated based on the standard treatment rates of the individual practitioners. The individual is asked how much they are able to contribute, either in money or volunteer hours, and the remainder of the funds for the treatments are taken from the Health Access Fund account. In this way, all the practitioners are compensated for their time and effort to ensure sustainability and the individual has the ability to contribute directly to their own health care through whatever money they have to offer, or through volunteering their time within the VCHC.