Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on your service, you may receive other bills from your personal physician, surgeon or other medical service.

If you believe that your bill is incorrect, call Patient Financial Services and we will be happy to discuss it with you.


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

You may contact Patient Financial Services at:

• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

You may certainly have a question about your bill, or you may dispute your bill by writing or calling.

You may contact a patient financial representative. Our patient financial representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except holidays). 


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

It is our goal to respond to any question(s) and or dispute(s) within two business days after receipt.

Please include the following information with your inquiry to help expedite our response:

Patient Account Number
Patient's Date of Birth
Date of Service
A day time phone number to contact you
The best time to contact you
A general explanation of the dispute

Insurance companies require hospitals to bill each visit separately excluding some services that are billed monthly. We are required to keep separate documentation for each visit to comply with regulation. Therefore, we maintain separate visit accounts for each patient encounter.

You will receive a statement from the hospital, when your insurance carrier has paid or denied your claim. If your balance is not paid within 30 days from the hospital statement date then, Memorial Health’s billing services will continue to send correspondence in an effort to resolve your account balance. In the unfortunate circumstance that you are unable to pay your account balance in full, or make suitable arrangements, then the account will be referred to collections. Generally this can be avoided by a timely call from you to our patient financial representatives .

Memorial Health has specific payment plan guidelines. If you are unable to pay your balance in full, with at least a $25 minimum payment, over a six-month consecutive period, you must contact a customer service representative to make other arrangements. Our Patient Financial Service representatives are available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

If you are paying online, payment arrangements may be made online using the "auto pay" option.

Memorial Health has customer service representatives who work with patients to assist with making a payment plan that follows Memorial Health guidelines. Patients that meet certain criteria may qualify for financial assistance. To find out if you may qualify, you can call Patient Financial Services:

• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

The fastest, easiest way to pay your bills is through our secure online bill payment option. Our bill payment options include:

Pay securely online through our online bill pay service.
Stop by the hospital main lobby and make a direct payment.
Contact a customer service representative by telephone and pay with your credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Credit Cards. Call Patient Financial Services:


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

E-checks accepted.
You can make payments at the time of service at registration areas.
You can also mail a cashier's check, personal check, or credit card information for payment in full directly to our billing office.  

Please contact a customer service representative who will be happy to discuss payment arrangement with you. Please call Patient Financial Services:


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

In order to prevent pre-certification and timely filing issues with your insurance plan, it is important that you contact us immediately. Please call Patient Financial Services: 


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

You are expected to pay your plan-required co-payment, estimated co-payment and/or deductible prior to leaving the hospital. Memorial Health accepts cash, personal checks, and VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards.

Any new payments made on your account should be reflected on your next account statement. Please call Patient Financial Services:


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

When a balance is due, you should receive several notices in the mail. If the account is not paid in full, it may be referred to a collection agency. Please contact a representative to discuss payment arrangements. Call Patient Financial Services:


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

Insurance plans generally have deductibles, co-pays, and/or coinsurances. A "deductible" is an annual expense that you pay before your insurance benefits can begin. This amount can vary based on place of service (i.e. your doctor's office vs. a large hospital). Supplemental Insurance plans may cover this cost.

"Co-insurance" is the portion of the total bill (usually a percentage) that the patient's (or guarantor's) responsibility to pay. This amount can vary based on place of service (i.e. your doctor's office vs. a large hospital). Supplemental Insurance Plans may cover this cost.

"Co-pay" is a set amount paid each visit, based on your insurance policy. This usually does not count towards deductible.

Example: On a $500 bill, your deductible might be $150, so you would have to pay the first $150. This leaves a balance of $350. Of that $350, your co-insurance might be 20%, meaning that you have to pay an additional $70. Your insurance company should pay the remaining $280. The hospital will file this claim for you. After insurance has been billed, you may receive a bill on any remaining balances.

You should have received an Explanation of Medical Benefits (EOB) or Explanation of Payment (EOP) from your insurance company, showing how they considered your claim. This EOB/EOP should have a contact telephone number or web site where you can reach your insurance company for questions. Please contact your insurance company or benefits office with questions about denied claims or charges. You may also be required to pay a co-payment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible for your healthcare expenses. Your bill may include charges that you are responsible to pay, such as non-covered items or out-of-pocket expenses.

Yes, the hospital will send your insurance company a bill for services you incurred as a patient as long as we have your carrier(s) information. It is important to remember, however; that the hospital relies on you for settling your account in full regardless of your insurance coverage. Your insurance policy is an agreement between you and your health insurance carrier.

Yes, your insurance card contains information we need to file a claim with your insurance on your behalf. Your registration process goes much faster when you bring your insurance information with you.

Yes, many insurance policies and benefits are different, depending on the services you are going to have. It is a good idea to know your insurance policy before receiving services. Some insurance carriers, such as Medicare, do not require prior notification. Some insurance carriers require a referral and a prior authorization from your primary care physician specialist.

You can view your statement online to see which insurance carrier we billed, this will let you know if the correct insurer was billed. If you have a secondary or tertiary insurer these are also identified on the statement.

You can view your online statement to see what has been billed to your insurance carrier and also what has been paid.

Yes, it is important that you notify your insurance carrier prior to your child's birth.

You must be using 128 bit encryption, and it must be turned on in your browser. (See your browser’s online help for more information.) Javascript must be enabled in your browser. Normally, it’s turned on by default, although you can disable it. (See your browser’s online help for more information.)

Exceptions, as noted above, include: Internet Explorer 7 and above. Limited support for Internet Explorer 6. Firefox 2.0 and above.

Before creating a new enrollment or paying your bill online, gather the following information:

 

• Last five digits of Social Security Number (SSN)
• Account number of the bill you want to pay electronically and the address to which the bill is sent
• Payment Information
• Billing Address (including the city, state, and zip code)
• Email Address

Yes, Memorial Health will accept a wide variety of payment methods and will offer resources to assist the patient and responsible party in resolving any outstanding balance. Which Resources could include, if applicable charity, bank loans, and monthly payment methods. To access Memorial Health's charity policy and application, visit Memorial Health's Charity Care page.

The routing number is a nine-digit number that identifies the institution with which you have the account. It appears at the bottom left of a check.

Your documents are stored as Adobe PDF files, and you may not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in installed. To correct this problem, download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

You are not required to pay online just because you receive a bill electronically. Simply do not make the payment online. In the case of Bill Pay Assistant, you may stop paying online by deleting the payment rule. If you are paying by email reply then you delete the email payment order.

If you believe that your physician's bill is incorrect contact the office listed on the billing statement received.

Checking account information cannot be changed or deleted by anyone except our patient financial representatives:  


• DMH: 217-876-3785
• LMH: 866-461-6912
• JMH: 217-245-9541 ext. 3123 
• SMH: 217-788-3800 or toll free at 800-562-2829
• TMH: 855-228-9616

• Example 1: Pay without Enrolling - Allows you to make an immediate payment toward a statement. You may make a full or partial payment. You may pay by credit card or by a direct debit to your checking account.
• Example 2: Create a Payment Plan – You may setup recurring payments for a fixed payment amount for a fixed amount of time, up to 180 days.
• Example 3: Enrollment – You may enroll to view your statements and make payments online.

Yes. After displaying the bill, select the Print command from the File menu, or press the "Ctrl" and "P" key simultaneously.

We make withdrawals authorized by you from the checking account you designate as the payment account. As with any payment account, you must provide sufficient funds to cover all payments. Since we have no knowledge of your account balance at any time, we cannot notify you if your payment account has insufficient funds. There may be additional charges for payments attempted against accounts with insufficient funds.

Contact customer service. They’ll verify your identity and provide you with a new, temporary password.

To change your email address, click the My Profile link from the menu. Now click on “Edit My Contact Information”. Then click on the email address to change it. Use the new email address next time you sign on.

You can create a new payment account or change your existing payment account at any time. You may then need to select the new payment account as your default payment account and delete the old payment account, if you are no longer using it.

We recognize that many people are concerned about the privacy and protection of information as it is transmitted over the Internet. You should keep in mind that the possibility exists for unauthorized individuals to intercept any e-mail message you send over the Internet. In some cases, information can be encrypted (scrambled or encoded) to make it very difficult to read if it is intercepted during communication. Certain technology and practices allow web sites to provide an increased level of security for your personal and health-related information when appropriate.

We use the following practices on our web site to enhance the level of security for communication and the transmission of personal information:

 

• We always use industry-standard encryption technologies when transferring and receiving consumer data exchanged with our site.
• We have taken reasonable steps to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of personally identifiable information that you may provide.
• We use a confidential form to allow our customers to ask questions about our services and programs. These are hosted on a secure server to ensure the secure transmission of your information.
• We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you at this site.

While you are using our service, we need to store some information on your computer’s hard drive in the form of a cookie. (A cookie is a small file that a Web site puts on your hard drive so that it can retain information for later use.) For this reason, the cookie functionality must be enabled in your browser in order to use the digital billing system. However, the cookie will never read information from your hard drive or copy information about other sites that you visit.  View Memorial Health's Terms of Use.

We ONLY have access to your account to make payments that you have authorized. We never access your payment account(s) without your authorization and, as noted above, we never have information about your account balance.

The most common preventive/screening services covered by Medicare and a summary of the frequency and patient liability associated with these services can be downloaded here: Medicare Preventive Screening Frequency.

Information provided by Medicare

You should contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213. You have two options as to how to handle this based upon the ability of your parent to handle their affairs.

 

1. If your parent is unable to manage their affairs, then you should contact the Social Security Administration and apply to be your parent's Representative Payee. This will put everything in your name for your parent.
2. If your parent is not at the level that you need to be her representative, then you could have your parent change their address to your address. Again, this would need to be done by the Social Security Administration. In this situation, your parent must make the call. Social Security will not change the address based on your request alone. If you call, Social Security will ask that your parent get on the line and agree to the change or have them send in a statement that it is alright to change their address to yours.

IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY:

If you already get benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you are automatically entitled to Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) starting the first day of the month you turn age 65. You will not need to do anything to enroll. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your 65th birthday. If your 65th birthday is February 20, 2004, your Medicare effective date would be February 1, 2004. (Note: if your birthday is on the 1st day of any month, Medicare Part A and Part B will be effective the 1st day of the prior month. For example, if your 65th birthday is February 1, 2004, your Medicare effective date would be January 1, 2004.)

IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS:

If you are not getting Social Security benefits, you can apply for retirement benefits and Medicare online. If you would like to file for Medicare only, you can apply by calling 800-772-1213.

IF YOU ARE UNDER AGE 65 AND DISABLED:

If you are under age 65 and disabled, and have been entitled to disability benefits under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months, you will be automatically entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B beginning the 25th month of disability benefit entitlement. You will not need to do anything to enroll in Medicare. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your Medicare entitlement date. (Note: If you are under age 65 and have Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), you get your Medicare benefits the first month you get disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.) For more information about enrollment, call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or visit their website at www.socialsecurity.gov.

IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY:

If you already get benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you are automatically entitled to Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) starting the first day of the month you turn age 65. You will not need to do anything to enroll. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your 65th birthday. If your 65th birthday is February 20, 2004, your Medicare effective date would be February 1, 2004. (Note: if your birthday is on the 1st day of any month, Medicare Part A and Part B will be effective the 1st day of the prior month. For example, if your 65th birthday is February 1, 2004, your Medicare effective date would be January 1, 2004.)

IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS:

If you are not getting Social Security benefits, you can apply for retirement benefits and Medicare online. If you would like to file for Medicare only, you can apply by calling 800-772-1213.

IF YOU ARE UNDER AGE 65 AND DISABLED:

If you are under age 65 and disabled, and have been entitled to disability benefits under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months, you will be automatically entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B beginning the 25th month of disability benefit entitlement. You will not need to do anything to enroll in Medicare. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your Medicare entitlement date. (Note: If you are under age 65 and have Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), you get your Medicare benefits the first month you get disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.) For more information about enrollment, call the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or visit their website at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Medicare Part B (medical insurance) only covers certain drugs in the outpatient setting. Drugs given by infusion or injection would be examples of covered drugs. Medicare regulations have determined that self administered drugs, or drugs that the patient is able to administer to themselves are not covered by Medicare Part B and the hospital must bill the patient for those charges. Some Part D Plans will reimburse the patient for self administered charges. Please contact your Part D Drug plan for information about how to submit a claim. You may contact the PFS Call Center at 217-788-3162 for an itemized list of any self administered drugs that may appear on your outpatient bill.

Medicare covers many health screenings and most have frequency limitations, however, high risk patients may be covered for more frequent testing than those patients with a lower risk. For a complete listing, please refer to Medicare’s website at www.medicare.gov.

Some of the covered preventive services include:

Mammograms – Women age 40 and older covered by Medicare can get a screening mammogram every 12 months.

Colorectal Cancer Screening – All people with Medicare who are aged 50 and older are covered for colorectal screenings:

Fecal Occult blood tests – Once every 12 months.
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy – Once every 48 months.
Screening Colonoscopy – Once every 120 months (or every 24 months for those at high risk).
Barium Enema – Once every 48 months.
Prostate Cancer Screening – All Men with Medicare who are age 50 and older are covered for a Digital Rectal exam once every 12 months. PSA tests - Covered once every 12 months.

Cardiovascular screening – (Lab tests for cholesterol, lipid and triglyceride levels) – Once every five years

Cervical and Vaginal Cancer Screening – Women with Medicare are covered for these screening tests once every 24 months. Women in high risk categories may be covered once every 12 months.

Bone Mass Measurements: All people with Medicare whose doctors believe they may be at risk for osteoporosis are covered once every 24 months.

If any of the following situations apply to you, your other insurance may be primary to Medicare, meaning the other insurance pays first:

You have Medicare; are still working; and are covered by your employer’s health insurance plan
You have Medicare, are retired, but your spouse is working and has a health plan that also covers you; or
You are injured on the job, in an automobile accident, or slip and fall at a shopping center (worker’s compensation, auto insurance or liability insurance may cover the cost of medical care related to the accident).
You can contact the Coordination of Benefits Contractor at 800-999-1118 for questions about, or to report changes in, your primary insurance. Medicare has a dedicated "Coordination of Benefits Contractor" that keeps track of when Medicare is primary or when another insurer is primary.

If you have other insurance and it pays after Medicare, it is called your supplemental insurance. Supplemental insurance often covers the deductible and/or co-payments required by Medicare. Examples include:

Retiree insurance from your former employer or union;

 

• Medigap insurance;
• Tricare for Life (for military retirees); and
• Medicaid.

If you change your supplemental insurance, or are experiencing problems with supplemental insurance payments, you need to call your old and new supplemental insurance companies. If you have questions about how your supplemental insurance works with Medicare, contact the supplemental insurer.

An Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) is a form designed by Medicare, presented to you before receiving certain services notifying you that:

 

1. Medicare may deny the procedure or service
2. You will be responsible for the full payment if Medicare denies payment. You have the option to receive or refuse the services.
3. If you sign the ABN and choose to have the services, you will be responsible for the charges. An estimate of the cost of the service will be printed on the ABN.

• If you chose to have the services but refuse to sign the ABN, two witnesses will sign the ABN form and you will most likely be held responsible for those charges.
• If you chose to not sign and refuse services, you would want to notify your physician of your decision.

More information about the ABN and your Medicare coverage, please contact Medicare at 800-633-4227 or www.medicare.gov.

Memorial Medical Center does accept patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, and proudly participates in network agreements with the following Medicare Advantage plans:

 

• Health Alliance Medicare Advantage Plan
• Humana Medicare Advantage Plan
• Universal American/Pyramid Life/Today’s Options Medicare Advantage

It is important to communicate with your Medicare Advantage Plan to determine your out of pocket responsibilities. If your Medicare Advantage Plan is not listed above, you may be considered “out of network” and would perhaps have a greater financial responsibility for the services provided by the hospital and other healthcare professionals at Memorial. Questions regarding your benefits and coverage should be directed to your Managed Care health plan.

For up-to-date information and answers to your questions, call 800-MEDICARE 800-633-4227, or visit www.medicare.gov.

Download a PDF with Medicare-related phone numbers.