Financial Services

Paying for your Health Care Services

Unicoi County Memorial Hospital, Inc. is pleased to provide this informational guide to assist with your understanding of the various types of insurance you may have. This details the type of information we need from you to file claims with your health plan on your behalf. Our goal is to clarify how the health care services you receive are paid for.

Our hospital will do everything possible to help you ensure prompt and correct payment of your claim by providing timely and accurate information to your insurance company about your hospital or outpatient visit.

Deductibles

You should be aware, however, that your health plan might not pay for some of the services that you receive. Patients sometimes must pay an annual deductible (or defined dollar amount per individual family member) before their health plan begins to pay for services.

Co-payments

Frequently patients also must make a co-payment for the services they receive. Health plans typically require patients to pay a small co-payment each time they see their doctor or use outpatient services. Co-payments for emergency room visits may be higher. Your co-payment amount is determined by your insurance plan.

PAYMENT POLICY:

As a service to you, our hospital will submit claims to your health plan for you. To help ensure prompt and correct payment of your claim, we ask that you provide the following information:

1. Your full name.
2. Your date of birth.
3. Your current home address.
4. Your telephone number.
5. A valid insurance identification card (for both your primary and any secondary insurance you may have.)

If you have any questions about your insurance coverage, please call our Patient Accounts Department at (423) 743-1240.

Our hospital accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. If full payment is not possible, our Patient Accounts Department will help arrange a payment plan.

CHARITY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

If you do not have medical insurance or need special assistance, please call our Patient Accounts Department. For some patients with balances due resulting from limited or no insurance coverage may qualify for our charity care or financial assistance programs. These programs are designed to assist patients who are either financially or medically indigent. A financially indigent patient is a person who is uninsured or underinsured and is accepted for care with no obligation or a discounted obligation to pay for services based on income and family size. The hospital uses poverty income guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine a person’s eligibility for care as a financially indigent patient.

A medically indigent patient is a person whose hospital bills after payment by third party payers exceeds 10% of the household’s annual gross income and the person is unable to pay for the remaining bill. Unicoi County Memorial Hospital, Inc. may consider other financial assets and liabilities of the patient when determining ability to pay. The patient is responsible for providing information requested during the qualification process and will continue to receive a bill until eligibility has been determined. Please contact our Patient Accounts Department for more information at (423) 743-1240.

DOCTORS’ FEES ARE SEPARATE

Your hospital bill does not include charges for the following:

• Personal Physicians/Hospitalist
• Surgeons
• Anesthesiologist
• Pathologist
• Radiologist
• Emergency Room Physicians
  

The above physicians independently establish their fees and decide whether or not to participate in programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and HMOs/PPOs. If you have any questions regarding these fees or their participation in your health plan, you should contact the number on the statement.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR HEALTH CARE VISIT

After you leave the hospital, you are likely to receive numerous notices of the health care services you received. You’ll receive statements of the services you received from your physicians and from the hospital, which will include the amount you need to pay and a phone number to call if you have questions.

In addition, you will receive notices called Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), from your insurer, showing you which services were paid by your insurance and any you may be financially responsible. These EOB notices are not bills.

Please carefully review all of the statements and Explanation of Benefit notices you receive.

• If you have questions about your insurance coverage, call the Customer Service Department of your insurance plan.
• If you have questions about the hospital services you receive, call the hospital’s Patient Accounts Department at (423) 743-1240.
• If you have questions about the physician services provided to you, call the number on the statement.

Be sure you understand the requirements and coverage provided by your insurance plan before you come to the hospital or see your physician.

Thank you for choosing us and allowing us to serve you.