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A GUIDE TO YOUR HOSPITAL BILL
About Your Hospital Bill
We know healthcare bills can be confusing, so we’ve designed this information to help you understand our patient billing practices. If you have questions that aren’t answered here, please call us at (208) 265-1158 and one of our financial representatives will be glad to help you.
Preauthorization of Services
Some health insurance carriers require patients to preauthorize certain services, or to notify them within a certain period of time after being hospitalized. Please review the insurance benefit information your health insurance carrier or employer has given you and obtain any required preauthorization in writing before your hospital admission.
If you are admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis, call your insurance carrier (or have someone call for you) within 24 hours to notify them of your hospital admission.
Paying Your Hospital Bill
Paying your hospital bill is ultimately your responsibility, with the exception of approved Medicare, Medicaid, CHAMPUS and HMO services. If you have a deductible, co-payment or other self-pay amount due, or if you do not have insurance coverage for your hospital services, you will be asked to make a payment before you leave the hospital. For your convenience, we accept cash, personal check, debit card or money orders, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
If You Have Insurance
If you have current insurance coverage, our billing department will bill your insurance company (including Medicare and Medicaid) shortly after your visit. If you have more than one insurance plan, we will bill those carriers as well. When we bill your insurance company, we will also send an itemized statement to you. Please note that this is NOT a bill.
Your insurance company should pay your hospital bill within 60 days. We may request your help in contacting your insurance company if we do not receive payment from them within that timeframe.
Financial Assistance
If you anticipate problems paying your portion of your bill, our financial counselors can discuss payment alternatives that may be available to you. They can also direct you to organizations that may be able to provide you with financial assistance.
We offer assistance to uninsured and underinsured patients who meet certain financial criteria through our BGH Cares program. Information about this program can be given to you during your visit.
If You Have Questions
If you have questions about your hospital bill, please call us at (208) 265-1158. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For your convenience, hospital representatives are also available after 4:30 p.m. by appointment.
Bills for Physician Services
If your treatment includes the services of the hospital’s emergency room physicians or radiologists, these charges will be included on your hospital bill. If you received services from other physicians such as a pathologist, anesthesiologist, your personal physician or another physician specialist, you will receive a separate bill from those physicians.
If you receive a bill from a physician and have questions, please call the telephone number listed on that bill.
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