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How To Choose A Hospital

Step 7. Does The Hospital Fit My Financial/Insurance Situation?

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Hospital charges can vary greatly.  If you are likely to pay a percentage of the charges,   you should know what your costs will be.  What is the charge for a bed in a semiprivate room?  Are private rooms available?  What do these charges include?  What will be billed separately?  If the hospital's charges exceed what your insurance company considers "reasonable and customary," can some compromise be reached on the price?  Is there a hospital payment counselor to help arrange payment installment plans for charges you will pay out of pocket. Does the hospital provide any resources to help you find financial assistance if you need it?

If you look at a hospital's web site or call the hospital you can also obtain and compare:

  • Room costs. They will vary from hospital to hospital. 
  • Whether the hospital will accept your form of payment.
  • What the hospital charges for the procedure under discussion. Charges for the same procedure can vary widely from hospital to hospital -- even in the same geographic area.

If you are uninsured:

  • Keep in mind that if a facility receives funds from the federal government, you may be eligible for free or low cost careunder the Hill-Burton program. Eligibility is based on family size and income. To learn more, call the Hill-Burton hotline at 800.638.0742. or see http://www.hrsa.gov/hillburton/default.htm offsite link.
  • Companies such as North American Surgery pair patients willing to pay up front with small hospitals willing to give discounts - sometimes very large discounts. See: http://www.NorthAmericanSurgery.com offsite link

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