Financial Considerations
Your hospital bill will include charges that you incurred while you were in the hospital. Our business offices will assist you in making any necessary arrangements to process your insurance and you will be billed for the balance. This way you can leave the hospital immediately after discharge. You will be billed separately by physicians who participated in your diagnosis and treatment. For instance, you may get a bill from an anesthesiologist for administering anesthesia if you are a surgery patient or by a radiologist for reading and interpreting any X-rays your doctor may have ordered. Cardiologists, pathologists and the laboratory also provide separate bills. Call the Business Office at 860.444.4702 for questions on billing and payments.
Insurance
Upon your admission to the hospital you indicated your insurance company and how we should bill them. In most cases the insurance company will pay the hospital directly. You are responsible for payment of any deductible or for any services not covered by insurance.
Medicare
If you are eligible for Medicare and have any questions about how the system works, Medicare counselors, hospital staff and some volunteers can guide you through completing forms or assist you in solving a problem with payment. Some basic information about Medicare follows here.
According to Federal law, your discharge date must be determined solely by your medical needs. If you do not agree with your being discharged, you can request a review by a Peer Review Organization (PRO), a group of doctors paid by the Federal Government to review medical necessity, appropriateness and quality of hospital care provided to Medicare patients.
The first step in initiating a review is to ask your case manager for a written notice of explanation of why you are being discharged. This notice is called a Notice of Noncoverage. The next step would be to talk to our Medicare counselors or contact the Connecticut Peer Review Organization at 100 Roscommon Dr., Middletown, CT 06457, phone 860.632.2008 or 1.800.523.8208. You must make your request for review by noon of the first work day after you receive the Notice of Noncoverage.
If the PRO agrees with the Notice of Noncoverage, you may be responsible for paying for all costs of your stay beginning at noon of the day after you receive the PRO's decision. In other words, you are not responsible for the cost of your hospital care before you receive the PRO's decision.
The hospital, likewise, can request a review if they feel that your discharge is warranted but your doctor disagrees. You will be notified if the hospital goes to the PRO for a review of your case. If the PRO agrees with the hospital, you can appeal the decision, but since your case has already been reviewed once, you may have to pay for at least one day of hospital care before the PRO completes the reconsideration.
If you do not request a review, the hospital may bill you for all the costs of your stay beginning with the third day after you receive the Notice of Noncoverage. The hospital cannot charge you unless it has provided you with this Notice of Noncoverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Why am I getting different bills from different health care providers for my care?
Answer: During your hospital visit, the hospital and other professionals were involved with your care. You may have had a variety of tests, procedures and services. Your bill reflects all of the services you receive during any hospital stay. You may have certain tests or treatments in the hospital, and may receive a bill from physicians you did not see in person. These bills are for professional services rendered by these doctors in diagnosing and interpreting test results while you were a patient. Many of these services are performed by health care providers who work in the hospital, but bill for their services separately. You will be billed separately by physicians who participated in your diagnosis and treatment. For instance, you may get a bill from an anesthesiologist for administering anesthesia if you are a surgery patient or by a radiologist for reading and interpreting any X-rays your doctor may have ordered. Cardiologists, pathologists and the laboratory also provide separate bills.
Question: Why did I get a bill when I thought my insurance company would pay everything?
Answer: The hospital will submit bills to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim. Upon your admission to the hospital you indicated your insurance company and how we should bill them. L&M sends monthly statements to our patients. These will keep you informed of the hospital charges that have been sent to your insurance provider for review and reimbursement. In most cases the insurance company will pay the hospital directly. You are responsible for payment of any deductible or for any services not covered by insurance.
Question: My bill is confusing, who do I talk to about this?
Answer: Our billing office will be happy to answer questions you may have regarding billing and payments. The Business Office can be reached at 860.444.4702, Monday through Friday 8:30a.m. - 4:00p.m. During other times, you may either leave a message or send an email.
Numbers for billing outside of the hospital include:
Anesthesia Associates of New London 860.444.6734
Eastern CT Cardiology Group 860.444.4383
Ocean Radiology 860.444.5151
Pathology Consultants 860.444.5100
Question: What do I do if I don't have insurance?
Answer: Your health is important to Lawrence & Memorial. You may be eligible for Medicaid or other government assistance programs. Our billing counselors can assist you with the application forms required for these programs.
Self-paying patients who cannot pay the total hospital bill should contact our business office. We will discuss payment arrangements and schedules with you. Some patients may be eligible for free bed funds or a discount based on their income.
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