Renton residents may be entitled to benefits from the Valley Dividend Program.

Homeowners in the King County Public Hospital District No. 1 can use a credit to pay out-of-pocket expenses owed to Valley Medical Center after all third party and insurance payments have been made. The credit is based on the homeowner’s tax dollars paid to the hospital district and is limited to assistance with hospital facility bills.

“Not many people know about it, and need to,” Renton Chamber of Commerce Executive Assistant Darlene Larson said. “Just last week, I told two others about it, and they didn’t know they had been paying into it, or the benefits they have from it.”

Larson said she has lived in the hospital district for more than 30 years and has her own experiences with the program. She said it is like having a savings account she can use for out-of-pocket billing from Valley Medical Center.

“I initially found out about it in 1991 when our daughter was born. We were able to use $1,300 for our portion of the bill. Back then, that was a huge blessing for our budget,” Larsen said. “Recently, we were able to use $631 for a balance that insurance didn’t cover.”

To qualify for the program, a person must own a home as a primary residence in the King County Public Hospital District No. 1 and must have paid property taxes on the property. The patient must be the taxpayer, the taxpayer’s spouse or dependent minor, and the taxpayer must apply for the credit. The applicant must submit information to confirm eligibility and residence, and all third party benefits and insurance payments must be assigned and paid prior to determining eligibility.

The Valley Dividend can be applied to 100 percent of outstanding facility charges to inpatient hospitalization and the emergency department, and 50 percent of outstanding facility charges to other outpatient services. This includes diagnostic imaging, outpatient surgery, observation-status admissions, outpatient therapy services, endoscopy, radiation therapy and sleep studies.

“I encourage all residents in the district to find out what’s available to them and take advantage of it,” Larsen said. “Really it’s money we paid in and get to finally use. In today’s economy, everyone that qualifies will benefit.”

More information can be found on the Valley Medical Center website or by contacting the program hotline at 425-690-3575.