There are many methods that can be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the sliding fee program. There is a requirement that you collect utilization data in each discount pay class to ensure that all patients are accessing health center services. Beyond that, it is up to the health center to determine the appropriate method of obtaining patient information. The patient satisfaction survey is a useful tool to gather patient input. You may also create your own sliding fee survey to sample the patients. This can be specific to the sliding fee program and could include questions like: How did you hear about the Sliding Fee Discount Program? How satisfied are you with the eligibility screening process for the Sliding Fee Discount Program? Do you believe your fees are fair compared to the services you received? 

Other ways to gather information include focus groups, staff input and patient board member input. But remember, you cannot utilize patient board member input as the only information presented in the evaluation process. These are just a few examples of methods that could be utilized to evaluate the sliding fee discount program, but ultimately it is the health center’s decision.