Charleston, SC (September 4, 2020) As a member of the HCA Healthcare family, Trident Health is now offering a free service to help individuals who may have lost their health insurance coverage as a result of the economic impact caused by COVID 19.

“Just as we set up a COVID 19 hotline at the start of the crisis, we want to make sure we’re there to help our community as we move forward,” said Todd Gallati, Trident Health President and CEO.

Anyone can call the insurance hotline at (833) 867 8771 to receive free, confidential and personalized guidance.  Hotline advisors can answer many of the most common questions and issues related to health insurance coverage, such as:

• Continuing your employer's existing plan if you have recently lost your job (COBRA and other options)
• Applying for coverage via a spouse's benefit program
• Resources that may help offset the costs of health insurance
• Medicaid : Government healthcare for those that meet certain criteria
• State and federal health insurance exchanges (such as the Affordable Care Act), including how to enroll due to a changing life event

The free insurance hotline is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Trident Health does not represent any company selling insurance plans. The service is free. Summerville Medical Center CEO Jeff Taylor said, “It is important for our community to have access to healthcare. A lack of health insurance is often the reason patients delay needed care. We hope they will take advantage of our free insurance hotline and get the care they need when they need it.”

Trident Health includes two acute care hospitals - Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center - and three freestanding ERs - Brighton Park Emergency, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center.

About Trident Health

For more than 40 years staff and physicians at Trident Health have provided acute healthcare services to families in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Services are provided through its two acute care hospitals Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center three freestanding emergency departments Brighton Park Emergency, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center and two urgent care centers CareNow Urgent Care Goose Creek and CareNow Urgent Care North Charleston. Both hospitals have received top ranking as Joint Commission Top Hospitals for Quality Performance and are Joint Commission Certified for Advanced Heart Failure and Advanced Primary Stroke Centers. Trident Health is

one of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s largest employers with more than 2,500 employees and has a medical staff of nearly 500 physicians. In 2019 it provided $47 million in uncompensated care and paid $33.5 million in local, state and federal taxes. To learn more about how Trident Health is growing to meet the needs of our growing region and how to join our team go to www.tridenthealthsystem.com.