Understanding Your Bill
Take Charge of Your Payments
The Northwell Health System aims to provide high-quality, compassionate care to every patient. Following your visit or stay in the hospital, you may receive charges for physician services separately from your hospital bill. These can include doctors, surgeons and specialists. If you are admitted to the hospital, you may see charges for your room, meals, 24-hour nursing care and medicines. Please remember you are responsible for noncovered charges, including insurance co-payments and deductibles.
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.
Uninsured?
If you do not have health insurance, you may qualify for reduced fees for health care services. For more information or to apply for financial assistance, call Northwell Health System, Financial Assistance Program at (800) 995-5727 or Northwell.edu/insurance.
Understanding Coordination of Benefits (COB)
COBs happen when you’re covered under two or more insurance companies. This may occur when spouses or partners are listed on each other’s insurance policies, or when both parents carry their children on their individual policies.
To prevent duplicate payments, COBs determine the primary payer. Your insurance providers follow guidelines to choose who pays first. Check with your insurance provider about their rules for COBs, primary payers and forms to fill out.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about hospital billing, contact a customer service representative Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at (877) 449-0827. You also may visit our website, Northwell.edu/resolve, to send an email, make a payment, provide insurance information or discuss financial assistance.