Patient Information

Is the Clinic Really Free?

YES, the clinic is free to those who qualify for services. No fee is charged. Over 1200 patients seek medical services from the Albrecht Free Clinic each year.

However, like all healthcare service providers, costs for services such as prescription medications, physician and specialist services, and dental/oral surgery services are expensive. The Albrecht Free Clinic receives its funding from generous contributions made by organizations, foundations, health care providers and volunteer donors. Clinic patients pay nothing for services, but others contribute thousands of dollars each year to keep the clinics open and operational.

Criteria For Free Care

We welcome all Washington residents and the public to contact our agency to discuss eligibility guidelines.The Albrecht Free Clinic is sensitive to the fact that many individuals or families within the Washington County community may have lost a job, their home, or have experienced a degeneration in their economic status. Some may be employed or even hold some form of hospitalization or catastrophic health insurance policy. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the eligibility criteria as provided for below.

Generally, the Albrecht Free Clinic will provide patients with health care so long as they are approved under our eligibility guidelines. Eligibility for services require that patients be a Washington County resident and that they are not active members on BadgerCare/Medicaid or any other state-funded health insurance program.

Employer-sponsored health insurance: Additionally, if patients are eligible for a health insurance on an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, and the employer cover 80% or more of the policy, and the patients make more than 150% of federal poverty guidelines, patients may not be eligible for services at our agency.

All new patients will undergo a financial eligibility assessment prior to receiving medical services, and all existing patients will typically re-new their financial eligibility every six months. Eligibility is determined on the verification documents brought in and a number of financial indicators. Generally, individual and/or family income  - which includes earned wages, unemployment benefits, social security benefits, worker's compensation, etc.  - must be less than 200% of federal poverty level. Assets such as checking accounts, savings accounts, and stocks/bonds will also be considered.

Documentation Requirements

Patients should ensure that they bring along with them necessary documentation in order to complete their financial eligibility assessment successfully. The Albrecht Free Clinic requires patients to provide us with proof of each:

1. Washington County Residency
2. Income and Assets
3. Health Insurance
4. Badger Care paperwork

The following are acceptable proof documents to bring in:

Washington County residency - ALL documents must show the patient's name and current address:

• Current WI ID card
• Current WI Driver's license
• Official ID Card or license issued by a WI governmental body
• Employer-issued photo ID card
• University ID card or college fee card
• Utility Bill for the period commencing not earlier than 60 days
• Bank statement
• A real estate (i.e. property) tax bill or receipt for the current year
• Rental agreement
• Paycheck, gov’t check, or other document issued by a unit of gov’t
• If a patient is homeless, and

1) living with a family relative or a friend:

• patient must bring in a signed Letter from family member(s) and/or friend(s) sheltering the patient along with a copy of family member(s) and/or friend(s) photo ID with current address and/or other form of proof of residency.

2) living in a shelter:

• patient must bring in a signed note on facility letterhead paper explaining patient's status

Income and Assets

• 3 or 4 pay check stubs/documents, or, a month's worth of income.
• All other documentation of wages (unemployment, workman’s comp., SSI/SSD, etc).
• Bank checking account statement.
• Bank saving account statement.
• If married, the patient must provide documentation of their spouse's wages and checking and savings account information. If unmarried couples are living together, or, an adult child living with parents or guardians and is claimed as a dependent, income documentation and checking and saving's account verification must be provided for each adult member of the household.  

Health Insurance

• Employer documentation
• Health Insurance

Badger Care for Families

• Acceptance documentation
• Application documentation
• Denial documentation

English as a Second Language

If adequate notice is given, the Albrecht Free Clinic will strive to have an on-site certified or licensed volunteer translator for medical interpretation during the patient's appointment. However if we do not have a medical translator on staff, for any patient who does not have fluency in the English language, they are required to bring in their own translator. Translators must be over the age of 16 years old.

Services Offered

The Albrecht Free Clinic's family physicians, nurse practitioners, and internal medication providers primarily screen, diagnose, and often prescribe medication for healthcare problems. Patients may receive referrals - at no cost to them - for treatment from off-site specialists and medical practitioners. Emergency and surgical services are not provided. Laboratory tests, x-rays, and therapy are provided services, but performed off-site at local hospitals and clinics.  If patients are given a prescription for medication, they will either be given sample products provided to the Clinic by pharmaceutical companies or a voucher to use at a community pharmacy.

In most circumstances after an initial visit, patients will be referred to agencies or other places that can assist them on their road to recovery. Information on methods for helping to resolve health issues will always be provided.

Patient Assistance Programs

Patient Assistance Programs (PAP's) are usually sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and provide free or discounted prescription medicines to low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals who meet their guidelines. Eligibility criteria is different for every program.

Clinic staff will help you use PAP's with such things as finding a program, completing forms and working with prescribers who must sign the forms. Medicine will be directly delivered free of charge to the Albrecht Free Clinic. Medicines are not shipped to patent's homes. Patients shall contact us ahead of time to pick up your medicines during non-clinic hours, or they may pick up during normal clinic hours. Our staff requests refills when they are required.

Patients may call our PAP contact line at 262-306-7720 - please clearly leave your name, number, and best time to call in order for a staff member to contact you.

For additional assistance and resources for program guidelines and downloadable forms, please visit needymeds.org.