The Gillette Assistance Program’s Impact: The Hunt Family’s Story

Gillette Children’s is committed to ensuring access to care for every family who walks through our hospital and clinic doors. Through our donor-supported Gillette Assistance Program (GAP), we’ve been able to provide a critical boost for families juggling medical costs, the need for services not covered by insurance, and in the case of the Hunt family, multiple family members needing care.    

Jonah and Asher Hunt have both had multiple hereditary exostosis since birth. Now 14 and 18, they visit Gillette for regular check-ups to monitor the bone growths caused by the condition. Both have surgeries when the growths interfere with their bodies’ development as they age.   

The Hunts worked with Gillette’s patient financial representatives to create a payment plan that covered Jonah and Asher’s ongoing medical needs and fit their family’s financial needs. “The patient financial representatives were always so kind when I called to make a payment, even if I was a little late,” says their mom, Shelly. “We got to know each other like family.”  

This plan ran smoothly until the Hunt family faced a new medical challenge. Jonah and Asher’s father, Jason, was diagnosed with cancer, and suddenly there was a lot more for the Hunt family to manage when it came to healthcare and finances.  

Although Gillette works with many private and public insurance providers, not all of them cover all the care services provided to patients. Some patient families have high deductibles, high copayments, or no insurance coverage at all. In these cases, patients or their families are encouraged to apply for GAP.  

In other cases, Gillette has information necessary to determine presumptive eligibility for GAP. GAP funds are then used to provide full or partial discounts on medical balances related to their care.   

It was this scenario that led to some good news for the Hunt family, who one day received word from Gillette that they’d be receiving a financial boost through GAP – one that would make a huge difference in their lives.    

“When I heard that our bill for Jonah’s surgery was wiped out to a balance of zero, I was speechless and in tears,” says Shelly. “Any little bit of help with medical bills is a blessing to our family.”  

Jonah and Asher will continue visiting Gillette until they are fully grown. Until then, the Hunt family will take things one day at a time, supporting one another and receiving the care they need without the stress of medical costs.   

In Shelly’s words, “The impact that GAP program provided our family gave us the ability to focus on my husband's cancer bills and took the burden away.”