Financial Services
At St. Mary's Healthcare
Center, we believe that access to necessary health care services should not be
based on ability to pay. That belief is grounded in our Catholic heritage and
history of service to this community.
Of course, your hospital bill is a legal obligation. For patients who have
health insurance and are employed, we trust and expect that you (together with
your insurance company) will pay your bill in its entirety and in a timely
manner.
St. Mary's Healthcare Center has an obligation to seek payment for
services - through fair and respectful billing and collection practices - so we are
able to continue to serve our community.
But we realize that many people, whether they are employed or unemployed, either
cannot afford health insurance or do not have enough insurance to cover their
bills.
St. Mary's has payment options and financial assistance that helps to ensure
necessary health care is available to any person who needs it.
In order to help patients plan for healthcare expenditures, the following link
offers estimates on a variety of services performed by St. Mary's Healthcare
Center. Please keep in mind these are just estimates. If you should have any
questions please do not hesitate to contact a Financial Account Representative
if have any questions.
St. Mary's Healthcare Center realizes that the cost of health care is a concern
for our patients. We offer the following information to help you understand our
financial policies and aid you in planning for payment. Any member of our
patient financial services staff will be glad to discuss payment arrangements
with you or your designated responsible party. You are encouraged to ask us any
questions relating to the services you may receive.
HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES (FULL OR PARTIAL COVERAGE)
As a courtesy, St. Mary's Healthcare Center will file your insurance claim for
you. Therefore, at registration, you will be asked to present your health
insurance card and sign a form assigning insurance benefits to the hospital. It
is your responsibility to ensure that all pre-approval requirements are met. If
applicable, you will need to present the appropriate referral form from your
primary care physician.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
Most types of insurance do not pay the entire cost of health care services. They
usually require the patient to contribute to the cost of the services in one or
more of the following ways:
Deductible: A deductible is a specific dollar amount a patient must pay for
covered services before the insurer pays benefits under the policy. A deductible
usually applies to all covered services under the policy, although in some
health plans certain services (like preventive or well-child care) are not
subject to the deductible. Sometimes deductibles apply to only specific types of
services, like hospital inpatient care or durable medical equipment.
Co-payment: A co-payment is a per-service deductible. Health plans will often
require a co-payment for physician office visits or prescription drugs.
Coinsurance: Coinsurance is like a deductible or co-payment, except the patient
pays a percentage of the cost, rather than a specific dollar amount.
Explanation of Benefits
Your insurer will normally send you an "Explanation of Benefits" when it
processes a claim on your behalf. This document will be clearly labeled as an
Explanation of Benefits and will prominently state that "This is Not a Bill."
The Explanation of Benefits provides a summary of the charges that were
submitted to the health insurer for payment. It will identify the billed amount,
the amount that was paid on your behalf, and amounts (a deductible, co-payment
or coinsurance) that are your responsibility to pay under your policy.
Because hospital and physician bills are normally separate, you will receive
separate Explanations of Benefits for each type of service.
BILLS FOR BOTH ST. MARY'S HEALTHCARE CENTER AND OTHER PROVIDERS
Patients may receive multiple bills for their hospital stay. These bills will be
for each individual service. For example, a patient may get a St. Mary's
Facility bill, a St. Mary's Physician bill and a bill for professional services
such as anesthesia or radiology services. Patients may receive multiple bills on
St. Mary's letterhead; however the services being billed for will be different.
Additionally, patients may receive bills from St. Mary's that have return
addresses of Nampa, ID or Pasadena, CA. These bills come from billing centers in
their respective locations however still references services received in Pierre,
SD.
Other Providers Include:
Missouri Valley Radiology LLC
800 E Dakota Ave
Pierre, SD 57501-3313
(605) 224-3106
MedicalAssociates Clinic LLP
772 E Dakota Av
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 224-5901
(605) 945-5295-Fax
(605) 945-5083-Fax
(605) 945-5296-Fax
Sanford Clinic Dakota Plains
640 E Sioux Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 224-2010
Black Hills Regional Eye Institute
809 E Dakota Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 224-6639
Slingsby & Wright Eye Care Center
800 E Dakota Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 945-0492
LCM Pathologists PC
1305 W 18th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
(605) 333-1720
(605) 333-1730
YOUR ST. MARY'S HEALTHCARE CENTER STATEMENT
You will receive a statement of charges from St. Mary's Healthcare Center that
will include the fees for the actual treatment/service you received. It will be
mailed in approximately three to four days after treatment. This is a statement
of charges, and not a bill. If you have questions regarding this notice, please
call our Patient Financial Services department 605-224-3106.
PAYMENT METHODS
For all patients who must personally pay all or part of their health care bills,
we accept cash, check, MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover. You will
be expected to pay any deductible, co-payment, and/or any charges not covered by
your insurance company.
Other payment plans or program options may be available upon completion of a
financial assistance application. Please contact our Patient Financial Services
Department for assistance or questions at 605-224-3106. To ensure timely receipt
of your account information, please contact Patient Financial Services whenever
your billing address changes.
THIRD-PARTY LIABILITY
For patients treated for injuries from an automobile or other accident caused by
another party, St. Mary's Healthcare Center will, as a courtesy, forward an
itemized bill to your attorney (upon written request from your attorney), and
will bill any liability insurance you request. However, each patient is
responsible for making payment arrangements regarding these accounts. St. Mary's
Healthcare Center will not be involved with liability disputes, except as
required by Medicare and Medicaid.
MINOR CHILDREN OF SEPARATED/DIVORCED PARENTS
The parent who consents to the treatment of a minor child is responsible for
payment of the services rendered. St. Mary's Healthcare Center will not be
involved with separation/divorce disputes.
PAYMENT OPTIONS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
At St. Mary's Healthcare Center, we are proud to help our community by making
health care accessible to everyone. To ensure that we are able to continue
meeting the health care needs of this community by employing talented health
professionals and acquiring life-saving medical technology, we rely on receiving
payment for our services from patients and their insurance companies.
Unfortunately, the need for health care and hospital services is often
unplanned, and some patients may not have sufficient insurance, or may be unable
to pay their bill. This is why we have a number of flexible payment plans
designed to help you pay your charges over a specified period of time.
We'll be glad to arrange flexible payment options to help make meeting your
obligations easier. We'll also be happy to assist you in finding out if you are
eligible for financial assistance that can cover part or up to 100% of your
hospital bill.
To speak with a Patient Financial Services Representative, call us at
605-224-3106. Or, when you're at the hospital, visit Patient Financial Services,
located in the business office in the main lobby.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
In today's economic environment, some employers do not offer health insurance to
employees. Many people are unable to afford health insurance on their own. We
want to assure you that receiving care at St. Mary's Healthcare Center is a
medical decision, not a financial decision.
If you believe you will need to take advantage of our Financial Assistance
program, we'll be happy to work with you. We'll help you fill out an application
to help you determine if you are eligible for federal, state or county
government health care assistance. This application will ask you for certain
financial information, such as your income, that is required by
government-sponsored health programs to determine if you are eligible for
financial assistance. You may also be eligible for St. Mary's Healthcare
Center's own assistance plan, or other sources of financial help that can pay
all or a significant portion of your hospital bill.
To get started by meeting with one of our Financial Account Representatives,
please call 605-224-3106, or visit Patient Financial Services, in the business
office in the main lobby.
Thank you for choosing St. Mary's Healthcare Center.
