Going to the hospital can create a lot of anxiety, the fear of the unknown. Buena Vista Regional Medical Center strives to reduce a patient’s concern and help them feel reassured prior, during and after the procedure. An area that causes added worry is the cost of care.
Insurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximum are all terms that are confusing to people that don’t work in health care. BVRMC’s Business Office works to help people better understand their health insurance benefits and what a procedure is going to cost. Currently, financial counselors provide estimates on Diagnostic Imaging and Outpatient Surgical departments; however, an estimate can be requested on all services at any time.
Patients receive a phone call prior to services or an estimate letter upon registration to review health insurance benefits and expected out of pocket costs. BVRMC stresses no one will be turned away for a procedure based on their ability to pay. By providing the information about patient responsibility and payment options prior to procedures it opens the line of communication between the hospital and patient, which helps the financial counselors inform patients of assistance programs they may not be aware of. If a patient is concerned about paying for their service, the financial counselors can assist with financial assistance and payment plans.
“Due to higher deductibles and out of pocket expenses, we feel it’s become even more important for us to provide upfront information regarding these costs— no patient wants to experience sticker shock. We can easily run our services with patient’s insurance information and come up with a very accurate estimate,” explains Financial Counselors Amanda Foell and Lacey Anderson, “We are here to work with you.”
The estimate provided will be for BVRMC services, they will not include the cost of specialty doctors or anesthesia services.
If you have any questions regarding an estimate of a service or payment for a current bill you can contact BVRMC’s Financial Counselors, Lacey Anderson at 712.213.8689 or Amanda Foell at 712.213.8688.