Understanding Your Bill

Understanding Your Bill

Take Charge of Your Payments

The hospital billing process may seem complicated, but you can feel more in control by knowing exactly what your bill covers. For example, if you stay overnight, you can expect to see charges for your room, meals, 24-hour nursing care and medicines. The bill will also show charges for any special services, such as X-rays and lab tests. You’ll receive bills for doctors, surgeons and specialists separately from the hospital.

Medicare

If you have Medicare, you may have to fill out an MSP (Medicare Secondary Payer) form. This ensures that Medicare only pays for services not covered by other insurance you may have. If you have secondary insurance, this usually covers Medicare deductibles. If you don’t have secondary insurance, you need to pay these amounts yourself. Also be sure to read your quarterly MSNs (Medicare Summary Notices) to review:
  • the amount your doctor(s) charged
  • the amount Medicare approved and paid
  • the amount you owe
  • your current deductible status
If you have questions, call the customer service number listed on your statement.

Commercial Insurance Providers

If you use a commercial insurance provider, then the hospital forwards your claim based on the information you provide at registration. About a month after you leave the hospital, you’ll get an explanation of benefits (EOB) statement from your insurance provider. This isn’t a bill. EOBs show:
  • the amount billed by your doctor or hospital
  • how much of that cost is covered by your insurance
  • how much you owe
Review this and all other bill-related documents carefully. If you have questions, contact your doctor or the customer service number listed on the statement.

Self-Pay Patients and Payment Arrangements

If you’re planning to pay your bills without help from Medicare or a commercial insurance provider, then you’ll get bills directly from the hospital. Self-pay patients have the right to receive a "good faith" estimate before a planned hospital stay. To learn more, visit cms.gov/nosurprises.

When the first bill arrives, call the hospital's financial services department to set up a payment plan. Communicate with the financial services department as soon as possible. If you don’t set up a payment plan, or if you stop making payments, then your account may be placed with a collection agency. The hospital wants to work with you, so reach out with any questions or concerns you have.

Financial Policy

The financial policy of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia, is designed to allow anyone in need of critical care and/or emergency healthcare to receive such care regardless of financial status or ability to pay, and at the same time to provide financial stability to the Medical Center, fairness to patients and third-party payers, and to ensure that all patients who are financially able to pay their bills do so in a timely manner. The Medical Center’s source of income for operating expenses is the income received from its patients; therefore, we ask for your cooperation in fulfilling your financial obligation. If you anticipate any difficulty regarding the financing of your hospitalization, or if you would like to apply for assistance, please contact Patient Financial Services.

Commonly Confused Terms

  • Deductible: The amount you owe each year before your insurance begins making payments.
  • Co-payment: A flat fee you pay for a specific service, usually due at the time of service.
  • Coinsurance: The portion of your medical expenses that you’re personally responsible for paying. For example, your insurance may  cover 80% of a bill, while you have to pay the remaining 20%.
Keeping Track
One of the key ways to feel well-informed and less overwhelmed about the hospital billing process is to stay organized. Keep all of your statements and bills together, and review each one as it arrives.

MyChart.sgmc.org

SGMC is excited to offer MyChart to help simplify your healthcare management experience. As an online patient portal, MyChart allows you to:

  • pay your bills online
  • manage prescriptions
  • review test results
  • and much more
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