Downloadable Documents (Click here to see available documents)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for Project Access?

How long can patients be in the program?

What if I have a patient who qualifies for Project Access but is not in the program?

Do patients pay for services?

What about lab or radiological services?

What if a patient needs services I don’t provide?

What is standard procedure for an ER visit or admittance?

What happens at the end of my pledge to my Project Access patient?

What are the malpractice implications of volunteering?

Who is eligible for Project Access?
Project Access is open to any Dallas County resident with at least one family member who works at least 20 hours per week – U.S. citizenship is not required. The patient cannot have health insurance of any kind. The program also excludes people eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, or VA benefits. People with an income greater than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, for their household size, are not eligible for Project Access.
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How long can patients be in the program?
A patient’s eligibility expires 6 months from the day of enrollment. On or before that date, a patient can contact the Project Access Patient Help Line to requests an extension. The request is considered only after the patient’s PCP has completed the Project Access Physician Recommendation Form, which the care coordination team will fax to the physician.
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What if I have a patient who qualifies for Project Access but is not in the program?
Complete the Project Access Physician/Hospital Enrollment Request Form and fax it to the Project Access/DCMS office at 214-946-5805. Because of a limited budget, Project Access can treat only a specified number of patients per month. However, at the earliest enrollment opening, the request will be considered. Please take in mind that for every patient you sign up from your practice, you must be willing to see another Project Access patient, who is not already part of your medical practice.
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Do patients pay for services?
To give patients a sense of ownership in their health care, they will be asked to pay a $5 donation. At the time of checkout, the physician’s office staff will provide the patient a Project Access envelope and patient payment form, provided to the physician’s office at the time of their orientation into the program.
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What about lab or radiological services?
If you are able to provide these services in your office, please consider donating them to Project Access. Otherwise, complete the Referral Request Form and fax it to the Project Access/DCMS offices, at 214-946-5805.
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What if a patient needs services that I don’t provide?
Contact the Project Access manager at DCMS, at 214-413-1439.
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What is standard procedure for an ER visit or admittance?
Project Access does not cover ER visits. If a patient has an emergency or needs to be emergently admitted to the hospital after normal business hours, the patient should go to the nearest ER and the hospital will provide treatment by following its normal charity care procedure.
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What happens at the end of my pledge to my Project Access patient?
If you decide to no longer participate in Project Access or no longer see a patient, you can notify the Project Access manager and a new PCP will be located for the patient. If the patient’s eligibility expires, you may continue to see the patient as your patient. If you decide to discharge the Project Access patient, you follow the standard protocol for discharging a patient from your practice.
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What are the malpractice implications of volunteering?
Three laws protect physicians in volunteer capacities: the Texas "Charitable Immunity and Liability Act," the federal "Good Samaritan Law," and the federal "Volunteer Protection Act of 1997."

The Texas Charitable Immunity and Liability Act, a doctrine designed to encourage volunteerism, provides immunity from civil liability for physician volunteers who provide non-Emergency medical services. Immunity relies on the following criteria:

• Work is for a charitable organization and the physician is not being compensated.
• The physician acts in good faith within the scope of his or her license.
• The patient has provided written consent.

The Good Samaritan Law provides immunity from civil liability to physicians who provide uncompensated emergency care when the need arises as long as:

• Their actions are in good faith.
• They are not compensated.
• Their actions did not cause the emergency.
• They are not the admitting physician or associated physician with treating the patient.

The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 protects volunteers from liability abuses in order to promote the interests of nonprofit organizations.

Downloadable Documents (click on the PDF icon to download)

Brand over Generic Request Form [61K]

Generic Formulary [114K]

Formulary Information [67K]

Laboratory Services Contract Request Form [60K]

Physician/Hospital Patient Enrollment Request Form [60K]

Referral Request Form [60K]