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$20 deposit to support operating expense by Dr. Mark Lyles Medical University Authority On Aug. 1, MUSC began collecting a $20 deposit from uninsured patients at the time of each appointment. The Medical University Leadership would like to thank all of the clinical and administrative staff members who assisted in implementing this new process.    The monies collected from this deposit will support the ever-increasing expenses associated with operating our ambulatory clinics. MUSC officials are continuing to work with local, state and national representatives to obtain additional funding for the under served patients in South Carolina.     Our scheduling, registration and administrative staff have done an excellent job of communicating to all of our patients the rationale for this deposit. More than 2,100 patients have paid this deposit and, although there have been a few patient complaints, the implementation process has been smoother than anticipated.    As of Aug. 31, more than $42,200 has been collected and will go towards the operational budgets of our ambulatory clinics. The initial target for waivers was less than 5 percent. As of Aug. 31, 193 waivers  (9 percent) have been provided to patients who were not expecting to pay the deposit. As we continue to educate our patients about this deposit, the percentage of waivers declines weekly and we anticipate reaching our overall 5 percent goal by the end of September.    Deposit and waiver volumes for individual clinics are e-mailed daily to business managers and clinic administrators. Please contact the representative from your clinical area if you would like a more detailed summary of deposits and collections. A discussion regarding problems encountered in the deposit collection process will be held at the Sept. 8 staff U.P.D.A.T.E.S. meeting.    If faculty or staff members have questions that cannot be answered during the U.P.D.A.T.E.S. meeting or by their clinic or departmental business managers, call 792-2081.