Billing FAQs
Q: When should I expect to receive a bill?
A: Typically, claims are submitted to the insurance carriers daily and processed by the insurance carrier within 30 to 60 days after your service date. Once your claims have been processed by the insurance carrier, you’ll receive a statement for any charges that you’re responsible for. However, if your insurance carrier needs more information or rejects the initial claim, the billing might be delayed for an extra two to four months due to the appeal process.
Q: How will I be notified of my bill?
A: You will be notified of a new bill by receiving a paper statement. You may also receive text messages and/or emails notifying you of an outstanding balance. For questions or concerns, call our customer service agents at 833-991-2882.
Q: How do I know if Henry County Hospital contracts with my health plan?
A: To receive full insurance benefits, some insurance companies require patients to receive services with “in-network” or “participating provider” hospitals and physicians. Some insurance requires certain services be authorized or pre-certified before the patient receives them. Call your insurance company to check its requirements and to make sure Henry County Hospital is in the network.
Q: What if my insurance company has no contractual agreement with Henry County Hospital?
A: If you are a customer of a private insurance company that does not have a contractual agreement with Henry County Hospital, you can still receive treatment at Henry County Hospital. However, you will be financially responsible for the total charges and may be asked to make a deposit before receiving medical services at Henry County Hospital. It is your responsibility to know what your insurance will and will not cover.
Q: Why can’t I call about a statement if I am not the guarantor or the patient?
A: Due to federal privacy rules, we are only allowed to discuss account information with the guarantor or the patient.
Q: Does Henry County Hospital follow up with my insurance company?
A: To ensure timely processing of your claim, Henry County Hospital follows up with your insurance company; however, it is recommended that patients periodically contact their insurance company on the status of the services that have been billed to them. By contacting your insurance company, it will help ensure your claims will be paid promptly and accurately.
Q: Does Henry County Hospital send the necessary information and paperwork to insurance providers?
A: Henry County Hospital tries to send all the necessary information to insurance companies; however, they sometimes need more information from you to process a claim. This may include information about coordination of benefits, student verification, accident or third-party verification, pre-existing condition, or primary explanation of benefits (if claim was submitted to a secondary insurance). You should receive an explanation of benefits from your insurance company asking for this information. Please respond to have the claim processed correctly. If the requested information is not submitted to your insurance company in a timely manner, you will be responsible for the outstanding charges and will receive a statement from Henry County Hospital.
Q: Does Henry County Hospital offer payment plans?
A: Total payment is expected for the patient’s portion of the bill at the time of receiving their first statement. We accept, cash, checks, and Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit cards. If you are unable to pay the full balance, you may qualify for a monthly payment plan based on an approved schedule. You may contact customer service at 833-991-2882 to speak with a representative.
Q: How will I know how much I owe?
A: If you have insurance coverage, your insurance company will send both Henry County Hospital and you an explanation of benefits (EOB) that details the amount it has paid, any non-covered or denied amounts, and the remaining balance that you are responsible for paying. You may receive your EOB before Henry County Hospital does. Review your EOB carefully, compare it to your Henry County Hospital statement and call your insurance company or Henry County Hospital customer service representatives if you have any questions or concerns.
Q: How often will I receive a statement?
A: You will receive 4 statements within 120 days unless you opt out of receiving paper statements or you pay your balance in full.
Q: How can I apply for Financial Assistance?
A: You can complete the Financial Assistance application on the back of your printed statement or click here to find the Financial Assistance application. You will also need to provide your proof of gross income. You can then mail it back to the address on the statement or drop the application off with your proof of gross income to the administrative entrance of Henry County Hospital Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Q: How do I know if I was approved for Financial Assistance?
A: After your application and gross income is reviewed, you will receive a letter in the mail stating if you qualified for Financial Assistance or if you did not qualify.
Q: How do I pay my bill?
A: Send your payment along with your statement stub to the billing address on your statement. You can also drop off your payment at our Riverview entrance. You can also make payments with the information provided on your statement here.
Q: How do I update my address/insurance information?
A: You can update your information by contacting our customer service representatives at 833-991-2882.
Q: Why was my last payment divided and applied to the bill in two separate places?
A: We post your payment to the oldest charges or oldest account first unless you specify the exact account you would like your payment to be applied to.
Q: Why did I get multiple statements for the same procedure?
A: You may receive a statement for physician services and hospital services depending on where the procedure was performed. Click here to find contact numbers for other providers.
Q: Why did my insurance company reject the claim or not pay the entire claim?
A: There are many reasons why claims are not paid or not paid entirely and could be as follows: your insurance may need additional information from you; charges may have been applied to your deductible; you are responsible for co-pays or co-insurance; charges could have been non-covered services; insurance coverage not in effect at time of services; and many more. Your insurance company should have sent you an explanation of benefits (EOB) that explains why the charges are not paid. You will need to contact your insurance company and discuss with them as to why the charges were not paid or rejected.
Q: Will you bill my insurance company?
A: Yes, we’ll take care of billing your insurance company. If you didn’t provide your insurance details during your visit, we kindly ask you to contact us at 833-991-2882. You will need to provide the following details:
- Your insurance company’s name and address
- Your policy and group numbers
- The policyholder’s name
- The policyholder’s date of birth
- The policyholder’s employer
These details are important for us to ensure accurate billing.
Q: Will you bill my secondary insurance company?
A: If you’ve supplied us with your secondary insurance details, we will submit a claim on your behalf.
Q: Can I request an itemized hospital bill?
A: For a comprehensive breakdown of your hospital services, please feel free to contact our customer service representatives at 833-991-2882. This itemization will provide you with detailed information about each service you received during your hospital stay, empowering you to better understand the specifics of your healthcare experience.
Q: What does Medicare not pay for?
A: Medicare does not pay for any procedure or service it considers routine or preventive. You will be required to pay for these services.
Q: What is an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN)?
A: An Advanced Beneficiary Notice, also known as an ABN, is a document that your physicians, providers, or suppliers may present to you before they provide a specific service or item. This notice serves several purposes:
- It informs you that Medicare is likely to reject the payment for the particular service or item in your situation.
- It provides the reasoning as to why your physician, provider, or supplier anticipates that Medicare will deny the payment.
- It notifies you that should Medicare reject the payment, you will be personally accountable for settling the full payment.
Additionally, an ABN gives you the choice to decline the service or item if you do not agree with these terms. This approach ensures that you are well-informed about your potential financial obligations and can make decisions accordingly.
Q: Why does a single visit to a physician result in two charges?
A: When you make a single visit to your physician, you might notice two separate charges on your bill. The first charge covers the preventive aspect of your visit; this would include preventive screenings. The second charge is for addressing any specific health issues or problems you may have, which requires additional time and resources from your physician. This is known as the problem-oriented component. By understanding these charges, you can better manage your healthcare expenses and expectations.
Q: I am an uninsured patient. What am I required to do?
A: If you don’t have health insurance, we ask you to provide an upfront payment, which is an estimate of the cost of your scheduled medical services. This system ensures that all financial responsibilities are taken care of in advance. However, if there’s a need for more tests, further discussions with your physician, or extended hospital stays, we might need to ask for additional payments. Should your initial deposit exceed the cost of the current service and result in extra funds, we will first apply this amount to any outstanding balances. If there’s still a surplus after this, we will ensure that this money is returned to you promptly.