Patient Resources and Commonly Asked Questions

You will need to sign a release form before records can be released. Please call (775) 329-6300, ext. 387 for medical records and (775) 329-6300, ext. 167 for dental records.

You can download a copy of the Records Release form in English or Spanish. You may return the completed form, along with a copy of your ID by mail, fax or in person:

By Mail:
Community Health Alliance
Attn: Medical Records
680 South Rock Blvd.
Reno, NV 89502

By Fax: (775) 336-0652

In Person: At the health center where you receive care

Community Health Alliance charges for services on a sliding fee scale, which is based on income and family size. In order to qualify for the sliding fee discount, you must bring the following items to your eligibility appointment:

• Proof of income and household size. The following may be used to prove gross income:
  • Income pay stubs for a total of one month within the last three months
  • 1099 form
  • Letter of verification by employer
  • Social security determination letter
  • Pension or retirement income
  • Most current tax return

If you do not have any of the above items, you may self declare your income by using this form. Income does not include tax refunds, gifts, one-time payments from other sources, and food stamps. Patients may self-declare income in the event that proof of income is not available.

While everyone who walks in our doors is offered the sliding fee scale application, sometimes there are better options. Everyone who comes into our health centers for services is screened for insurance eligibility. Applying for health insurance can be complicated and intimidating. That’s why we have a dedicated team to help you apply.

While we’re not a free health center, we offer flexible payment plans, discount programs, sliding fee scale payments, and other options to keep your fees manageable. Whether you’re insured, underinsured, or uninsured, we’ll help you find pricing that is appropriate for you. Patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance can request a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

We ask that you pay for all medical and dental services at the time you receive them. We accept cash, credit cards, medical care credit cards, debit cards, and checks. You may also pay your bill online or by phone (775) 319-4214.  

Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

• You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

• Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (775) 329-6300.

The charge for a medical visit includes the professional fee for our providers and supplies for that visit.

Not included in the charge are additional prescription medications, injections, immunizations along with the administration costs, and the charges others bill for laboratory tests, radiological tests, and fees from other specialists and dentists.

Please note that our pharmacy can provide low- or no-cost immunization services to children 5 and older, as well as adults. Community Health Alliance is a Vaccines For Children registered provider and participates in the 317 Immunization Program. Both programs provide low-cost vaccines to children and adults who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay.

For our Medicaid and Medicare patients, we are happy to bill the appropriate agency. If you are deemed ineligible, we will be happy to switch you to a sliding fee scale for future services.

If a sliding fee scale patient expresses they are unable to pay, we offer a payment plan option.

For our insured patients, we offer the sliding fee scale based on the requirements of the insurance company. We will bill the insurance carrier, and the patient is responsible for any copayments and deductibles. If for any reason your insurance carrier denies us payment, you remain responsible for charges. Payment plans are available.

Community Health Alliance could not keep our doors open without patient revenue. As a nonprofit, we do receive donations from generous individuals, organizations, and foundations as well as receive federal funding. But the largest source of revenue for Community Health Alliance is fees paid by patients and their insurance companies for services received.

You can transfer your prescriptions to our pharmacy by contacting our pharmacy, letting us know your current pharmacy, and what medications you would like transferred. Our staff will take care of the rest.

You can reach our Wells pharmacy at (775) 336-3035, our Sparks pharmacy at (775) 997-7303, or our Sun Valley pharmacy at (775) 870-4301.

No. If you have insurance, your co-pays are based on your current insurance plan. If you do not have insurance, our pharmacy offers you a co-pay at an affordable, discounted rate which is significantly cheaper than other retail pharmacies.

Our pharmacy offers text message notifications once your medications are ready for pick up. If your cell phone permits text messages, we will sign you up for text message notifications upon request.

Our pharmacy allows you to request a prescription refill online. Please visit the following links based on your pick-up location:

• Request a prescription refill at our Wells Ave. Health Center
• Request a prescription refill at our Sparks Health Center
• Request a prescription refill at our Sun Valley Health Center

Yes! Our pharmacy can deliver your medications to your home for no charge if you live in the Reno/Sparks area. Please call our pharmacy to inform the staff if you would like your medications to be delivered.

You can reach our Wells pharmacy at (775) 336-3035, our Sparks pharmacy at (775) 997-7303, or our Sun Valley pharmacy at (775) 870-4301.

Yes! Our pharmacy offers all major vaccinations. Please call us or visit our website to schedule your COVID-19 vaccinations. Walk-ins are welcome for all other vaccinations.

You can reach our Wells pharmacy at (775) 336-3035, our Sparks pharmacy at (775) 997-7303, or our Sun Valley pharmacy at (775) 870-4301.

We would love to serve as your pharmacy, but if you’d rather have your prescriptions handled by another pharmacy, simply ask the pharmacy of your choice to request your prescriptions from us.

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives you convenient 24-hour access to your personal health information and medical records. It’s known as your electronic health record. You may use it on any device with an Internet connection.

Access Community Health Alliance’s patient portal here.

Accessing your personal medical records through a patient portal can help you be more actively involved in your own health care. Access to your family members’ health information can help you take care of them more easily. Also, patient portals offer self-service options that can eliminate back-and-forth phone calls with your care team or save you a trip to your health center.

Access Community Health Alliance’s patient portal here.

You will be able to securely view and print portions of your medical record. This includes recent doctor visits, medications, immunizations, allergies, and most lab results, at any time and from any device with an Internet connection

Other features include the following: 

• Exchanging secure messages with your care team 
• Requesting non-urgent appointments
• Updating your contact information 
• View past and future appointments
• View patient education videos
• You may also be able to access these features on behalf of your children or other dependent family members.

Access Community Health Alliance’s patient portal here.

All you need to sign-up for our patient portal is an email address. Download Healow, a free app available for Apple and Android users. The patient portal is available in both English and Spanish.

When requested, our unique Healow code is: IHCBCD

If you have any issues connecting to your patient portal, our front office or call center staff will help you sign-up.

The Healow app and our patient portal allow you to reset your username and/or password. You can also call us and we can reset the username and/or password for you.

Access Community Health Alliance’s patient portal here.

The visit summary gives you the most important information about what happened during your office visit or hospital stay. It will also give you helpful information about any steps that you may need to take for your health.

You can refer to your visit summary if you forget any important information, such as the name of a new medication, when to make your next appointment, or other instructions from your provider.

Our patient portal has privacy and security safeguards to protect your health information. Although patient portals use safeguards, there are other safety guidelines you should follow when using the patient portal. Always remember to protect your username and password from others and make sure to log in from a personal or secure device.

Access Community Health Alliance’s patient portal here.

You may qualify for transportation through your insurance company. Please contact your insurance company directly.

About half of our providers are bilingual. Most of our providers and staff members speak some Spanish. However, we use a translation service for other languages such as Tagalog, Mandarin, or Farsi.

The Community Health Alliance Symptom Checker Self Triage Tool is to help you make decisions about seeking the right medical care. This system is not intended to replace a healthcare provider’s expertise, and is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other conditions.

If you have an urgent medical emergency that could be life-threatening, call 911 now. If you need help finding a doctor, please call our main number at (775) 329-6300.