Financial aspects of your health care
Aurora works hard to develop patient-friendly systems for
billing and tracking accounts. Our customer service representatives will
do their best to answer any questions or concerns you have regarding your
Aurora account.
The information below also may help provide the answers you need.
If you want additional help, please feel free to contact our customer service representatives by
clicking here, or
click here for answers for many of the billing questions we are asked
most frequently.
Has my claim or bill been sent to my insurance company?
If you provided us with insurance information at the time of your visit or service, we will attempt to bill your insurance company. That can sometimes take up to 60 days, so please be patient. If it has been longer than that time period and your insurance company still doesn't have a record of the bill,
click here to let us know or call 877-576-3544 for physician statements or 800-958-6202 for hospital statements.
Why do I have to provide my insurance information so many times?
The requirements for sending claims to insurance companies are very different for doctor bills and hospital bills, so we use two different billing systems.
So we may have to ask for your information more than once.
** Aurora provides emergency treatment to any sick or injured person, regardless of ability to pay, through insurance or other means. **
To get a copy of your bill, please click here or call 877-576-3544 for physician statements or 800-958-6202 for hospital statements. If you don't understand your bill it is best if you call us so we can better understand any confusion and help clear it up right away.
We would be happy to set up a payment plan depending upon your individual circumstances. To set up such a plan please call us at 877-576-3544 for physician statements or 800-958-6202 for hospital statements.
If you have a receipt or cancelled check, or can tell us the date that you think you paid the bill, please
click here or call 877-576-3544 for physician statements or 800-958-6202 for hospital statements.
If you just sent in payment recently, chances are the check and the bill crossed in the mail. Please accept our apologies and be sure to contact us at once if you get billed again.
When you first register at an Aurora facility (whether in person or by phone) you will be asked to
provide information about any health insurance coverage that you may
have. Please bring your insurance card with you the day of your
appointment.
Because the requirements to send claims to insurance companies vary
so much between doctor bills and hospital bills, we must use two
different billing systems. As a result, your insurance information isn't
carried over between billing systems. This is why you may be asked for
your insurance information more than once. Please be
sure to inform registration of your insurance information for all your
visits.
That way we'll bill your insurance
carrier, and not send a bill directly to you.
** Aurora provides emergency treatment to any sick or injured person,
regardless of ability to pay, through insurance or other
means. **
Insurance coverage and requirements necessary to assure your insurer will pay for your services vary
widely. For instance, many insurance companies require an approval, called "pre-authorization" or "pre-certification," before your doctor performs certain tests or admits you to the hospital. Your insurance also may require a
2nd opinion before it will pay for certain surgical procedures.
Please contact your employer or insurance company if you have questions about this. It's important to understand these requirements.
Aurora is not responsible for obtaining pre-authorization or pre-certification on your behalf. You are responsible for knowing your policy requirements and working directly with your insurer to complete these steps. You will be responsible to pay for any services not authorized by your insurance company.
If you are covered by an HMO (health maintenance organization) or PPO (preferred provider organization), it's important to understand your insurer's rules regarding which health care providers' services will be covered. Contact your insurance company directly to determine your plan's requirements. It is advisable to ask your insurance company if the specific Aurora facility or physician is covered by your plan.
Many insurance companies limit payments using their own fee schedule, sometimes called "usual, customary and reasonable" or UCRs. In some cases, Aurora's fees may differ from these fee schedules. You are responsible for payment of your account regardless of the amount of benefits provided by your insurance. This includes balances that stem from UCR limitations.
If you have concerns about your ability to pay for health care, financial counselors are available at
our hospitals. The counselors can provide an estimate of costs for the hospital services you need, review benefit programs for which you may qualify, discuss payment options with you and, if necessary, set up mutually agreeable payment plans for your bill. You may also call and request to speak to a financial counselor
at 800-958-6202 for your hospital bill or 877-576-3544 for your physician bill.
If you do not have insurance, the financial counselors can provide information about Medical Assistance, Healthy Start, BadgerCare, Senior Care,
Aurora's Helping Hands program, veteran's benefits and other programs that
help pay for health care services. The counselors can help a patient complete and file applications with the appropriate agency.
Aurora will file primary and most secondary insurance claims for you. Please be sure to complete the Authorization to Release form when you register with us. If you have coverage with more than one insurance company, it is your responsibility to coordinate billing and payment information with your insurance companies.
Aurora will file your Medicare Parts A and B and supplemental insurance claims. Medicare payments will be sent directly to Aurora. Some supplemental claims are automatically sent from Medicare to your supplemental insurance carrier. It is important that you notify Medicare of any changes in your supplemental insurance carrier. You will receive an explanation of your Medicare benefits directly from Medicare.
If you received more than one kind of care from Aurora, you probably
will receive more than one bill. For example, physician care and
hospital care are billed separately.
Your hospital bill reflects all of the services you
received during your hospital stay, including charges for your room
and for services ordered for you by your physicians, such as X-rays and
lab tests.
In many instances, you will see a physician who is in private
practice. Aurora does not do private physician billing. In some cases you may receive bills from physicians
you did not see in person. This may happen if other physicians provided
interpretation or read your test results. Therefore, you
may receive separate bills from an anesthesiologist, pulmonary specialist or emergency room
doctor.
The payments that you and your insurer made during the billing period
are shown separately on the bill. The amount you currently owe is
clearly marked.
You may pay with cash, but only in person at the
facility that provided your care. You also may pay by
personal or cashier's check, or with MasterCard, Visa or Discover
credit cards
We can take
your credit card payment or a check payment from you over the phone or
via the web. No
need to write a check or spend money on postage. To pay your hospital
bill by phone please call 800-958-6202. To pay your Aurora Medical
Group physician/clinic bill by phone, please call 877-576-3544. To pay
either bill online, click
here.
You may find these Web sites helpful:
For help with insurance issues:
www.patientadvocate.org
For Medicare information:
www.medicare.gov
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