Patient Resources and Commonly Asked Questions

We have worked hard to provide you with as many resources and answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding your care at Community Health Alliance.

Get the health care you deserve.

Community Health Alliance is dedicated to creating healthy outcomes for patients of every income. Whether you’re insured, under-insured or uninsured, we’ll help you get the health care you deserve.

If you are a new patient, you can pre-register online and we will contact you to schedule an appointment, or you can call us at (775) 329-6300 from 6:45 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. We will work to get you the required documentation to register at one of our six locations, or you can download, print and complete the required new patient forms.

If you are an existing patient, please use our patient portal to request an appointment, or you can call us at (775) 329-6300 from 6:45 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday.

We ask that you arrive at your appointment anywhere between 15-30 minutes ahead of time, especially if it is your first visit.

Please bring the following items to your first appointment:

  • Your photo ID (all non-U.S. IDs are accepted)
  • Registration and health history forms
  • Your signed sliding scale fee application
  • Bottles of all medications you’re currently taking
  • Insurance card if you have one (Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance)

Below is a detailed list of commonly asked questions regarding your care at Community Health Alliance. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Become a Patient
Patient Records
Billing
Pharmacy
Patient Portal
Miscellaneous

Become a Patient

Am I eligible for your services and programs?

We welcome and provide care to all people regardless of their ability to pay. Services and programs are provided on a sliding fee scale to those who qualify. We also welcome those on Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance.

How do I make an appointment?

If you are a new patient, you can pre-register online and we will contact you, or you can call to make an appointment from 6:45 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday at (775) 329-6300. We will work to get you the required documentation to register at one of our six locations, or you can download and print the required new patient forms.

If you are an existing patient, please use our patient portal to request an appointment, or you can call to make an appointment from 6:45 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday at (775) 329-6300.

Can I fill out patient registration forms prior to my first appointment?

Yes! Prior to your medical or dental appointment, you can download and complete the following forms in each section and bring them in person. These forms will be available at your appointment if you are unable to download, print, and complete at home.

For Adult Medical and Dental Patients

English

  1. Registration Form (English)
  2. Adult Health History Packet (English)

Spanish

  1. Registration Form (Spanish)
  2. Adult Health History Packet (Spanish)

 

For Pediatric Medical and Dental Patients

English

  1. Registration Form (English)
  2. Pediatric Health History (0-11yr) (English)
  3. Pediatric Health History (12-18yr) (English)

Spanish

  1. Registration Form (Spanish)
  2. Pediatric Health History (0-11yr) (Spanish)
  3. Pediatric Health History (12-18yr) (Spanish)

 

Sliding Fee Scale Application and Guidelines

Please fill out the sliding fee scale application (English and Spanish) and bring it with your registration and health history forms during your first appointment. 

You can review a copy of the 2024-2025 sliding scale fee and federal guidelines.

Are same day/week appointments available?

Yes! Community Health Alliance now provides walk-in care at select health centers.

A few things you should know:

  • If you feel you are experiencing an emergency, inform the front desk and ask for immediate attention. We will have a qualified provider look at you to determine if it is an emergency.
  • If your child has a rash, bring this to the immediate attention of the front desk staff. We will have a qualified provider look at the rash to determine if it is contagious. If it is contagious, we will place you in a separate waiting area.
  • Sometimes we must triage or priority rank our patients by the severity of their illness. From time to time, because of the number of patients waiting, the hour of the day, or the severity of an illness, we may see a patient with a serious problem first.

Patient Records

How do I request a copy of my medical or dental records?

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

Billing

How does the sliding fee scale work at Community Health Alliance?

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.

How can I pay for my care?

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.  

What is a Good Faith Estimate?

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.

What does my visit include and not include?

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.

What is Community Health Alliance’s billing policy?

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.

If Community Health Alliance is a nonprofit, why do I get billed?

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.

Pharmacy

How do I transfer my prescriptions to your pharmacy?

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.

Are my medications free at Community Health Alliance?

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.

How will I be notified when my medications are ready?

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.

How can I request a prescription refill?

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

Can my medications be delivered?

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.

Does Community Health Alliance’s pharmacy offer vaccinations?

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.

What if I want to use another pharmacy other than Community Health Alliance?

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.

Patient Portal

What is a Patient Portal?

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.

Why is it important to use a Patient Portal?

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.

What can I do with a Patient Portal?

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.

How do I get access to my Patient Portal?

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.

I forgot my login or password. How can I reset or obtain new login credentials?

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.

What is a visit summary?

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.

Is the Patient Portal private and secure?

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.

Miscellaneous

I need help with transportation to and from one of your health centers. What are my options?

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

I speak a different language than English. Can you help me?

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.

I am not sure where to seek medical care based on my symptoms. How can you help me?

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.

I am a registered patient at Community Health Alliance. How can I get help after hours?

If you experience a life-threatening medical emergency at any time of day or night, please call 911 for emergency medical assistance.

If your issue in non-life threatening and you are a registered patient that needs help after our normal hours of operation, please call (775) 329-6300. Community Health Alliance has an after-hours call system and you will be connected to a medical professional for help and guidance.

What are some common resources that can assist me before and after my visit with Community Health Alliance?

We have listed a few resources with our patient’s needs in mind: