The Billing Process: What You Need to Know

 

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare’s Mission is to provide exceptional and compassionate care from the time of your services right through the billing process.

What Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare will do for you:

• We will treat you with dignity and respect.
• We will bill your health plan on your behalf. If you have more than one health plan, we will bill additional plans.
• We will send you regular, easy-to-read statements showing the balance that is your responsibility.
• We will ensure you will have access to a financial counselor or customer service representative to answer billing questions or assist you with payment issues.
• Answers to frequently asked billing questions and an explanation of our billing statement are available.

If you have billing questions please contact the business office at 877-304-6332 or e-mail wheatonbusinessoffice@wfhc.org. 

Hours:
Monday through Thursday: 8 am - 8 pm.
Friday: 8 am-5 pm.


Your billing responsibilities
Please do your part to help make the process as smooth as possible by:

• Providing us with complete health insurance information and bringing your health insurance and prescription cards to your visit.
• Complying with the requirements of your health plan by understanding your benefits, obtaining proper authorization for services, submitting referrals, or completing a coordination of benefits form as your health plan may require.
• Responding promptly to requests you may receive from your health plan.
• Calling us with any questions or concerns you have regarding your bill.
• Bringing any co-payments or balances due at the time of your visit.

Payment information
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare will bill your insurance plan and any supplemental insurance plan if you provide us with this information at the time of scheduling, pre-registration, or at your appointment check-in. You are responsible for paying any co-payments, deductibles, co-insurance, and any amounts not covered by insurance. If your account balance is not paid at the time of service, you will need to pay in full when you receive the billing statement from us. If you have a situation that may require special payment arrangements, please contact our customer service department at 877-304-6332.

Uninsured patients and Community Care
If you do not have insurance, you will automatically receive a discount for medically necessary services. You may be eligible for a larger discount under our Community Care financial assistance program. To learn about the guidelines for applying, please contact our customer service department or a financial counselor.

Birth of a child

• Before delivery, contact the patient registration department to provide insurance information. This is essential for insurance verification and authorization to occur.
• Before delivery, contact your insurance company to notify them of the impending delivery.
• Within 30 days following the birth of your child(ren), you must notify your insurance company of the birth to have your child(ren) added to your insurance policy.

Personal responsibility for balances not covered by insurance
Payment for elective services, such as cosmetic surgery, which are not covered by insurance are expected to be paid in full by you at the time of service. Since we may not know actual charges before your visit, we may ask you to bring payment with you based on estimated charges. Or, we may request a deposit if an estimate is not available. You are welcome to pay with cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express).

Independent physician bills
You may receive separate billing statements from physicians involved in your care at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare facilities, including radiologists, Emergency Room physicians, Urgent Care physicians, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and others. These physicians may or may not participate in all insurance networks. Please talk with your insurance provider for network provider and coverage information. If you have any questions regarding your independent physician bills, please call the telephone numbers listed on those statements.

Important note
Certain locations that are not part of the main hospital campus provide outpatient services as a department of the hospital. These services are generally covered under hospital outpatient benefits. Your co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible may vary depending on your insurance plan benefit. You may have different deductibles for hospital services and physician office visits. Please discuss your plan coverage and options with your insurance benefit specialist.