The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation

By Nancy Flagg

“The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation does the climbing, swimming and walking for those who cannot.”

The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation has proven to be a phenomenon. In just two years, the Foundation has taken care of 21 cases and reviewed hundreds more. We have a never-ending stream of appeals and we’re proud to say that every appeal is reviewed and every appeal receives a response. It is not always possible to help someone in need because we adhere to our by-laws which state that we exist to provide life-saving treatments and surgery to those who have no insurance or no other means of payment. We do, however, always try to provide referral information to those cases that do not fit into our guidelines and we hope that this assistance will ultimately lead to the help that’s needed. To date, the Foundation has partially or fully funded all cases that have been within the guidelines set forth in our by-laws.

How do people hear about us?

Most cases that come to the attention of the Foundation do so by word of mouth. Someone who was already helped may refer them, or a member of our Board, family members or friends may refer them. Often, the cases come to us as a result of newspaper articles or television coverage of past cases. People who have attended a Foundation function and learned more about our work have sometimes referred cases.

How are cases managed?

The Foundation requires a letter stating the needs of the applicant, along with a letter from the attending physician stating the facts of the case, including the current recommendations for treatment, surgery, or life saving medications. We require documentation of non-insurable status and copies of all bills that have not been covered by insurance.

As Foundation administrator, I evaluate all incoming documents to determine if the applicant is eligible for assistance. I then review each case with Mr. Tye and present him with the facts he needs for continuing action. When Mr. Tye determines the Foundation can be of help, he goes to work by phone to negotiate the cost of the procedures with the appropriate hospitals and doctors. He then makes the final decision on the amount the Foundation will be able to pay for the case. When this process is completed, the applicant (or the physician) receives a call from me or Mr. Tye or me announcing that we have accepted the case.

From my personal standpoint, I can’t explain the feeling I have when I read an appeal letter with a child’s picture attached asking the Foundation to help save that child’s life or a son/daughter asking for help for a parent. As a daughter, mother and grandmother, I immediately think of my own and what I would do if one of them had a life-threatening illness—climb a mountain, swim the sea, walk to the end of the earth—whatever it would take. The Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation does the climbing, swimming and walking for those who cannot. The Foundation finds the doctors and hospitals that can help each case and then it pays for that help. I can’t begin to express the pride and the satisfaction I feel working in this environment. Someone once said, “When you save a life you save the future”. The Foundation is on its way to the future with that unexplained feeling.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm and filed under Recommended Reading.