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Overview
The billing process begins when you are registered.
For proper processing of your account, please inform your Registration clerk if you have insurance coverage for your hospital stay. Commercially insured patients, Medicare beneficiaries, and Medicaid recipients must show their identification cards during the registration process.
In addition to a bill from the Hospital, you will receive a separate bill from each physician who has some involvement in the interpretation of your test results or your treatment, even though you may not have had direct contact with those physicians, who may include radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists, or neurologists. Physicians who are consulted about your care will bill you for their consultation services.
Insurance
The Hospital will bill its services directly to your insurance company or companies should you have more than one policy. Any overpayment will be promptly refunded to the proper party. If you do not wish the Hospital to file all of your insurance policies, you cannot obtain a copy of your account for insurance purposes until the account is paid in full. On the day of your dismissal, some billing transactions will not yet be posted, so a final bill cannot be provided at the time of discharge. As soon as the bill is finalized, which is within four days in most cases, the insurance claim will be filed for you.
Hospital filing of your claim with your insurance company(ies) offers the following advantages:
- Prompt filing of claim.
- Immediate handing of medical record inquiries from your insurance company.
- No claim filing delays caused by pressing family matters or loss of insurance claim information.
- Quicker refund to you, if one is due.
The Hospital participates in many private insurance plans (a current list is available through our Business Office). However, private practice physicians, as well as certain hospital-based physicians such as radiologists, pathologists and anesthesiologists, may or may not participate in specific plans.
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Credit
If you do not have hospital insurance and cannot pay for your services upon dismissal, you will need to make credit arrangements. The Registration clerk can refer you to a Patient Accounts representative who will provide information about what resources may be available to assist you with your bill. If you have any questions about your bill, insurance, or resources available, the Patient Accounts personnel will be glad to discuss these with you. If your insurance or personal resources are depleted, you will need to discuss your account with a Patient Accounts representative prior to dismissal.
For your convenience, Southeast offers the following payment alternatives for any portion of your account not covered by insurance:
- Single cash payment.
- Payment by MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.
- Bank loan through the Hospital’s Medical Finance Program.
- Monthly payment plans which may include interest and/or finance charges.
A Patient Accounts representative is available to discuss payment alternatives with you Monday-Friday between the hours of 7:30 am and 6 pm. During your stay, you may visit the office, located on the first floor near the Lobby, next to the Cashier’s Office. The phone number is extension 5111. When calling from outside the Hospital, the number is (573 334-4822 and ask for Cashiers office.
After dismissal, an easily accessible Business Office is located on the third floor of the Regional Cancer Center (across Lacey Street from the Hospital). This office is open Monday – Friday from 8 am until 4:30 pm and can be reached by calling (573) 651-5511. |