Before your trip to the hospital:

• Call your insurance company (number is usually on the back of your card) for pre-authorization of services. This could save you hundreds of dollars from the very beginning!

Bring these items with you:

• Physician's orders or referrals
• Your insurance card(s) if you have coverage
• Photo I.D. with current mailing address
• A telephone number where you can be reached
• Any legal document to prove you have the authority to register and sign for someone other than yourself. Examples: Executor of Estate or Advanced Directive.

Be prepared to write a check for the amount your insurance will not cover. Examples are your co-pay, amounts applied to deductible, non-covered services, etc. Call the business office to discuss payment options before your visit.

If you know before hand that you will not be able to pay for your services and believe you may qualify for financial aid:

• Call the main hospital number (907) 235-8101 or come in to the main lobby.
• Tell the front-desk receptionist you need medical care but you would like to speak with someone about your payment options. The receptionist will route you to the appropriate person.

If you have insurance but want to speak with someone about charges, insurance coverage and your portion of the payment:

• Call the hospital or your insurance company. The business office staff and your insurance company representative is there to answer your questions.
• The more you know about coverage, the more smoothly your claim and its handling will go after you are billed.

Top ten things that hinder or slow payment processing from insurance companies:

1. Incorrect (or missing) social security number (numbers transposed)
2. Outdated employee address
3. Outdated insurance card - (expired insurance)
4. Incorrect name (always use your legal name)
5. Incorrect guarantor (who is the card-holder?)
6. Failure to return a phone call or letter request for additional information needed to process claim
7. Invalid insurance company address for claims processing
8. Invalid date of birth
9. Incorrect Primary / Secondary carrier
10. Incorrect employer information (contact name and phone number)

If you receive a bill from the hospital indicating a problem with your insurance company:

• Follow instructions in the letter to make sure everyone has the information needed to process the claim

As you can tell, most payment issues can be taken care of long before you receive an invoice for your charges. Questions are part of our job and we are happy to answer them. Thank you for choosing South Peninsula Hospital for your healthcare needs.