Managing medical bills can be a headache. Between copays, deductibles, and confusing statements, keeping track of what you owe and when can be an arduous task. However, for patients of Abington Health Physicians in Pennsylvania, paying medical bills just got a whole lot easier.
Abington Health Physicians, part of the Jefferson Health system, recently launched an online bill pay system to simplify the payment process This new system allows patients to view and pay bills online through a user-friendly portal Here’s an overview of how Abington Health Physicians’ bill pay works and why it’s beneficial for both patients and providers.
Accessing Online Bill Pay
To start paying bills online, patients first need to register for a Jefferson Health account. This can be done by visiting the Jefferson Health website and clicking on “Pay My Bill” From there, you’ll be prompted to either log in or create a new account
Registering takes just a few minutes. You’ll need to provide some basic information like your name, date of birth, and email address. Once your account is created, you can immediately start managing your Abington Health Physicians’ bills.
Viewing Current Balances
One of the best features of the online bill pay system is the ability to view up-to-date balances. By logging into your Jefferson Health account, you can see all outstanding charges from Abington Health Physicians in one place.
Statements can sometimes be confusing with insurance adjustments, pending claims, and dates of service. But the online portal clearly outlines what you owe, to which provider, and for which appointment or procedure.
There’s no more guessing about whether certain bills have been paid or decoding complicated paper statements. All your Abington Health Physicians balances are summarized in an easy-to-understand format.
Payment Options
In addition to balance transparency, the portal offers various payment options. Payments can be made directly online via credit card or debit card. Most major card providers are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
For added convenience, customers can store card information to expedite future payments. The portal is secure and compliant with healthcare data protection policies.
Other online payment methods include PayPal and Apple Pay. Checks can also be mailed in by accessing coupons through the portal.
Payment Plans
Understanding your financial responsibility for healthcare services is key. But high out-of-pocket costs can still present challenges. That’s why Jefferson Health also offers payment plans to ease the burden of large medical bills.
Through the patient portal, you can enroll in a monthly payment plan tailored to your financial situation. Interest-free plans allow you to pay down a balance over 6, 12, 18, or 24 months. There are no hidden fees or penalties.
Payment plans can be managed fully online without needing to call the billing department. You have access to review the terms, make payments, get receipts, and track payment history.
Receiving Receipts and Statements
Each payment made through the patient portal generates an email receipt. Receipts contain details like the payment amount, account number, date paid, and associated services. You can also access PDF statements that outline transactions, adjustments, and balances.
These receipts help you stay organized and provide documentation for your records. Since statements can sometimes get lost in the mail, being able to access them electronically is another advantage of online bill pay.
Account Support Options
Some patients understandably still prefer to speak with a billing representative when managing medical payments. Abington Health Physicians still offers full customer support via phone.
The difference is that call volume has decreased significantly since the launch of online bill pay. Wait times are shorter and billing staff can devote more time to answering detailed questions.
Patients who need help processing payments through the portal can call billing services at 267-414-3980. Support is available Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The automated system also includes self-service payment options for added convenience.
Benefits for Providers
Transitioning to an online payment model doesn’t just simplify things for patients. It also improves efficiency for healthcare providers like Abington Health Physicians.
Processing paper checks and statements requires extensive administrative time and resources. By handling more payments digitally, providers reduce labor costs associated with billing. This allows them to optimize their revenue cycle management.
The portal also improves cash flow with faster collection of patient balances. Revenue is posted more quickly since there’s less lag time waiting for mailed payments. Altogether, these enhancements help strengthen the organization’s financial performance.
Enhanced User Experience
In today’s digital age, consumers expect seamless online experiences when paying bills or managing accounts. Research shows that 76% of patients want the option to pay medical bills electronically.
Abington Health Physicians’ investment in an advanced payment portal allows them to meet these consumer demands. Patients appreciate the simplicity, transparency, and flexibility of the new system.
User experience is further enhanced by the portal’s mobile responsiveness. Bills can be easily paid on-the-go via smartphone or tablet. Faster payments, flexible plans, and enhanced self-service capabilities deliver an overall improved patient financial experience.
Adoption Incentives
To encourage portal adoption, Jefferson Health offers incentives for patients to enroll in online bill pay. For example, patients who go paperless by opting out of mailed statements get a $5 credit on their account per statement cycle.
Additional discounts and promotions are sometimes available to patients who pay their bills through the portal. These offers provide motivation for patients to start managing payments digitally.
Looking Ahead
Bill payment portals are fast becoming the norm across healthcare. Abington Health Physicians is ahead of the curve in terms of utilizing technology to provide patient-friendly billing. As more patients transition to paying their medical bills online, Abington Health Physicians is well positioned to deliver exceptional service.
Convenience and transparency will continue to be top priorities. There are also plans to integrate the billing portal with the overall patient portal. This will allow patients to seamlessly manage all aspects of their care through one account.
Abington Health Physicians’ commitment to an outstanding patient financial experience will be key to their long-term success. Their investment in online bill pay reflects this commitment and will serve them well now and into the future.
Diagnostic Imaging Billing Practices
Unlike other imaging centers, Jefferson Radiology offers both facility and reading services. This means that your visit includes both the administration of your imaging exam and the interpretation of your s by one of our radiologists. Depending on where your imaging exam is performed, you may receive two separate billing statements:
Global Billing: Under global billing, patients will receive a single billing statement with the total of their final costs. The statement includes both the taking and reading of s. An exam performed at any of Jefferson Radiology’s nine imaging centers falls under this category.
Professional Billing: Under professional billing, patients will receive two separate billing statements that together will amount to the final cost of their visit. This is because Jefferson Radiology oversees ONLY the reading of s. For example, when you visit one of Jefferson Radiology’s affiliated hospitals, you will receive one billing statement from us for the reading of your s and you will receive a separate billing statement from the affiliated hospital for the taking of your s.
Online Bill Payment: Jefferson Radiology offers an online medical payment portal for your convenience. You can access your bill online using your user ID and password provided during the registration process. Simply enter your account number and email address to view and pay your medical bills online. Our online bill payment services allow you to pay your bill using a credit card and choose from various payment options. For assistance, please contact our billing office.
Know Your Rights: Read About the No Surprises Act
The No Surprises Act protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers. It also establishes an independent dispute resolution process for payment disputes between plans and providers and provides new dispute resolution opportunities for uninsured and self-pay individuals when they receive a medical bill that is substantially greater than the good faith estimate they get from the provider.
Starting in 2022, there are new protections that prevent surprise medical bills. If you have private health insurance, these new protections ban the most common types of surprise bills. If you’re uninsured or you decide not to use your health insurance for a service, under these protections, you can often get a good faith estimate of the cost of your care upfront before your visit. If you disagree with your bill, you may be able to dispute the charges through the billing office.
What are surprise medical bills?
Before the No Surprises Act, if you had health insurance and received care from an out-of-network provider or an out-of-network facility, even unknowingly, your health plan may not have covered the entire out-of-network cost. This could have left you with higher costs than if you received care from an in-network provider or facility. In addition to any out-of-network cost sharing you might have owed, the out-of-network provider or facility could bill you for the difference between the billed charge and the amount your health plan paid unless banned by state law. This is called “balance billing.” An unexpected balance bill from an out-of-network provider is also called a surprise medical bill. People with Medicare and Medicaid already enjoy these protections and are not at risk for surprise billing.
Click here to continue reading about the No Surprises Act.
Still have questions? Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information.
Some medical procedures require pre-authorization from your insurance company. We will assist your doctor’s office in obtaining pre-authorization as needed. Insurance carriers who require preauthorization for imaging procedures require that your doctor provide the insurance company with some clinical information concerning your medical condition and, sometimes, prior treatments. If your plan is not listed above as a Participating Health Plan, it is your responsibility to get preauthorization, not your doctor’s. A partial list of common procedures requiring preauthorization can be found below.
Please work with your doctor and insurance company to ensure your preauthorization, when required, is received by Jefferson Radiology before your scheduled exam.
Without your insurance carrier’s preauthorization number, you may become fully financially responsible for any services rendered, or your appointment time may need to be rescheduled. Our Preauthorization Department can be reached at 860-289-3375, ext 88267 from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM Monday through Friday to assist you and your doctor’s office.
Imaging exams usually requiring preauthorization are, but not limited to:
- CT scans (all diagnostic exams)
- MRI/MRA (all examinations)
- Nuclear Cardiology
- Bone Densitometry Tests
Jefferson Radiology will assist you in resolving your insurance questions with regard to our services. If necessary, our billing team can establish a payment plan to help you meet your financial responsibility.
Just because something is a covered benefit on a health insurance plan doesn’t mean it’s free. Here’s the difference between care that’s covered-in-full, covered, or not covered.
Covered-in-full
This means a benefit is paid entirely by your plan. In other words, it’s free for you! Some examples include your annual physical, some kinds of primary care depending on your health history, your annual well-woman description below (OB-GYN) exam, an annual flu shot, many immunizations, and certain types of birth control.
Covered
These benefits are paid for according to your plan’s rules for cost-sharing. If you have a deductible, you’ll pay the bill at the negotiated rate and it will count toward your deductible and out-of-pocket max. If you met your deductible but not your max, you might owe a copay or coinsurance. How much you’ll pay depends on your plan and the services you receive.
Not covered
These services are not paid for at all by your health insurance plan. Examples of services that aren’t typically covered are services with providers who aren’t in your network, services that aren’t medically necessary, or drugs that aren’t in the formulary. Keep in mind that any money you pay for services that are not covered will not count toward your deductible or your out-of-pocket max.
Doctor and Hospital Payment at Time of Service
What are the phone numbers for Abington Hospital?
Important Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health Phone Numbers. Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health 215-481-2000 (main operator, 24 hours) Abington Health Center – Warminster 215-441-6600 Abington on Call/Lifeline 215-481-5750 Abington Family Medicine 215-481-2725.
What is Jefferson Abington Hospital?
Jefferson Abington Hospital improves lives thru award-winning care in Greater Philadelphia including emergency trauma medicine & advanced clinical specialties.
Where can I donate blood to Abington Health?
Jefferson.MyComplianceReport.com For services rendered on or after 2/27/21, please call: Abington Health Physicians accounts: 215-481-3905 Blood donations are held monthly at JAH Free screenings at a variety of locations every month Social Work Fax: 215-481-3305 Pastoral Care Department