Patient Financial Services
Guide to Thibodaux Regional Health System Billing Process
Thibodaux Regional Health System is committed to fulfilling our mission
of providing the highest quality care to the people of Thibodaux and surrounding
areas. To ensure the success of this commitment, we must be financially
responsible. Our approach is one that is positive and proactive to patient
billing and collections with the goal of receiving payment for services
rendered in the most efficient, timely and customer-friendly manner possible.
The staff at Thibodaux Regional understands that billing and collections
for healthcare services can be confusing. Please let us assist you in
understanding these billing services and to answer any questions you may
have in advance.
Customer service telephone numbers:
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Insurance Account Information
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Financial Hardship Applications
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Financial Estimates
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Payment Plans for Patient Balances Due
Your Financial Responsibilities
Thibodaux Regional Health System accepts responsibility for providing the
highest quality most cost effective healthcare services possible. Therefore,
we ask that you accept responsibility for paying for those services in
a timely manner. You will be required to sign a “Consent for Treatment
and Responsibility for Payment” form regardless of any insurance coverage.
Hospital Standard Charges
Healthcare pricing is complex and can be confusing. It is extremely important
to understand that standard charges may not be an appropriate starting
point for estimating what costs you may incur during an episode of care.
Each patient’s medical condition is different and the amount actually
paid by a patient will depend on the patient’s insurance coverage,
policy provisions and other factors.
The charges displayed on our website only include hospital charges and
do not include charges that are billed separately by the physician or
other professional fees. Click
here for more information on hospital charges and estimates.
IF YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE:
• Contact your insurance company to understand all of the factors
affecting your financial responsibility.
• Numerous factors, such as type of plan, co-pay, co-insurance, deductible,
out-of-pocket maximums, provider network and other limitations, will affect
your financial responsibility to a hospital.
• The prices reflected on this site do not include charges for the
physician or other professional fees, such as pharmacy, diagnostic imaging
or lab work.
• The prices reflected on this site do not include any negotiated
discounts between your insurance company and the hospital.
IF YOU HAVE MEDICARE:
• Medicare has many different parts, and not everyone has the same
type of Medicare coverage. Medicare will pay for many of your healthcare
expenses but not all of them.
• Special rules apply if you have employer group health insurance
coverage through your job or a spouse’s job.
• If you have a supplemental health insurance policy, it may cover
some costs that Medicare does not cover.
• The best way to be sure of what your Medicare plan covers is to
call 1-800-MEDICARE, or visit www.mymedicare.gov.
IF YOU HAVE MEDICAID:
• Contact your local Medicaid office at 1-888-544-7996, or visit the
Louisiana Department of Health to determine all the factors affecting
your financial responsibility.
• Generally, Medicaid recipients are not responsible for any portion
of the bill.
IF YOU ARE UNINSURED:
• Please contact our Patient Financial Services Department at (985)
493-4771, and ask about our payment policies.
- As required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), hospitals have a written
financial assistance policy that includes eligibility criteria, the basis
for calculating charges and the method for applying for financial assistance.
• Contact our Patient Financial Services Department at (985) 493-4771
to determine if you meet the criteria for financial assistance.
Estimates given are based on information provided for a potential patient
and may not include any unforeseen complications, additional tests or
procedures performed which may increase or decrease the cost of services
provided. Any potential patient should understand that a final bill for
services rendered at Thibodaux Regional Health System may differ from
the information provided by this website, and Thibodaux Regional Medical
Center shall not be liable for any inaccuracies.
Prior to Service for Elective & Non-emergent Services
Some health plans require a patient to pre-certify certain services, or
to notify them within a certain period of time after becoming hospitalized.
If your service is not an emergency, we encourage you to review and understand
your insurance coverage and benefit documents prior to your visit. Please
discuss any insurance eligibility or payment concerns with our Financial
Counselors as soon as possible.
Patients with a Health Plan
Thibodaux Regional attempts to collect all known patient payment responsibilities
prior to the delivery of services which includes deductibles, co-pays
and co-insurance amounts. If we are unable to verify from your insurance
company the patient payment responsibility, there will be an estimated
pre-deposit requirement for surgeries and procedures.
Patients with Medicare
At the time of registration, the clerk will review your physician orders
and diagnosis information. If Medicare does not cover the services ordered,
you may be asked to sign a Medicare Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) to
signify that you have been informed of your payment responsibility.
Patients with no Insurance Coverage
If you have no insurance coverage, you will be required to pay 50% of the
estimated amount of your procedure or treatment. We use an estimated amount
because treatment plans may change during your stay and it is difficult
to know your total charges prior to the time of your service from the hospital.
Processing Your Bill
Shortly after your service date, you will receive a summary statement from
the hospital for the services that were rendered. If you have current
insurance coverage, the hospital will bill your insurance carrier at that
time. As a convenience to you, we will not send you any further communication
until your insurance company has either paid the bill and there is a balance
due or your insurance company has not paid the claim in a timely manner.
If we have not received payment in a timely manner, the hospital may ask
for your assistance in getting the bill paid. If you have a patient balance,
you will receive a statement at that time indicating the total amount
due. If you are unable to pay the balance in full, a payment agreement
will be required. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 985-493-4790
to arrange a payment plan.
When you receive emergency care or obtain treatment by an out-of-network
provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you
are protected from surprise billing or balance billing. To learn more
click here.
Physician Billing
Professional fees charged by physicians for services provided to you will
be billed by the physician separately and apart from the fees charged
by the hospital. Please understand that physicians or other healthcare
professionals may be called upon to provide care or services to you or
on your behalf, but you may not actually see, or be examined by, all physicians
or healthcare professionals participating in your care; for example, you
may not see physicians providing radiology, pathology and EKG interpretation.
In many instances, there will be a separate charge for professional services
rendered by physicians to you or on your behalf, and you will receive
a bill for these professional services that is separate from the bill
for hospital services. These independent healthcare professionals may
not participate in your health plan and you may be responsible for payment
of all or part of the fees for the services provided by these physicians
who have provided out-of-network services, in addition to applicable amounts
due for copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, and non-covered services.
We encourage you to contact your health plan to determine whether the
independent healthcare professionals are participating with your health
plan. In order to obtain the most accurate and up-to-date information
about in-network and out-of-network independent healthcare professionals,
please contact the customer service number of your health plan or visit
its website. Your health plan is the primary source of information on
its provider network and benefits. To help you determine whether the independent
healthcare professionals who provide services at this facility are participating
with your health plan, this healthcare facility can provide you with a
complete list of the names and contact information for each individual
or group. If you receive a bill from a physician and have questions, please
call the telephone number listed on the statement.
Physicians that may bill you separately include:
- Personal Physician
- Anesthesiologist
- Cardiologist
- Emergency Room Physician
- Hospitalist
- Pathologist
- Radiologist
Financial Assistance Programs & Financial Hardship
Patients with balances due resulting from limited or no insurance coverage
may qualify for our financial hardship or financial assistance programs.
These programs are designed to assist patients who are financially 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. Thibodaux Regional
uses the 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. The Hospital may consider other financial
assets and liabilities of the patient and family when determining the
ability to pay.
The patient is responsible for providing information requested during the
qualification process and will continue to receive bills until eligibility
has been determined. Please contact our Financial Counselor at 985-493-4771
for additional information.
Click here for a Financial Hardship Application.
Thank you for choosing Thibodaux Regional Health System for your healthcare needs.