Dealing with hospital bills can be overwhelming. The thouroughs of medical jargon, copays, deductibles, and pre-approvals is enough to make anyone’s head spin Thankfully, Au Health offers a streamlined billing and payment process to alleviate some of the stress associated with medical bills.
As one of the best health systems in Georgia, Au Health wants to give patients the best care possible while also making sure they know how to pay for it. In this article, we’ll talk about Au Health’s billing and payment policies, as well as their online bill pay options, financial aid programs, and other payment options that are meant to make it easier for patients to pay.
Overview of Au Health Billing
Au Health issues a single, easy-to-understand bill for all services provided across its hospital, clinics, and physician groups. The main Au Health hospital facility is Augusta University Medical Center, a 478-bed hospital offering comprehensive emergency and acute medical care. Au Health also encompasses specialty clinics such as Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Georgia Cancer Center, West Wheeler Care Center, Digestive Health Center, and more
Seeing multiple providers across these facilities used to mean receiving multiple separate bills. However, Au Health has consolidated billing so patients now just receive one bill, with the exception of bills from anesthesia and ER physicians. This consolidation makes it much simpler to navigate hospital billing.
Au Health Payment Policies and Options
In terms of payment policies, Au Health accepts most major insurance plans and will submit claims directly to insurance providers on the patient’s behalf. However, patients are still responsible for any copays, deductibles, coinsurance, or non-covered services outlined in their specific health insurance policy.
Au Health offers several payment options to accommodate different needs:
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Online Bill Pay: Patients can log in to an online portal to view bills and make payments. The portal allows you to manage multiple accounts from one centralized site.
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In-Person Payments: Payments can be made in-person at the hospital billing office. Cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards are accepted.
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Payment Plans: For large balances, payment plan options are available to break up costs into more manageable monthly payments.
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Financial Assistance: Au Health offers financial assistance programs and charity care to qualified low-income, uninsured patients. Discounts up to 100% are available based on income criteria.
Simplifying payments is a priority for Au Health. You can call their billing office at 706-828-1828 or 844-828-7770 for help with any questions or to set up custom payment plans.
Out-of-Network Billing at Au Health
One complicated billing scenario involves receiving care at Au Health while having an out-of-network insurance plan. In these cases, the patient will likely have higher out-of-pocket costs. The insurance company will treat Au Health services as out-of-network and cover less of the bill.
Certain insurance plans are not accepted by Au Health at all due to unfavorable reimbursement rates. See the full list of non-accepted plans on the Au Health website. If you have one of these plans, you can still be seen at Au Health but will face higher costs and need to pay most of the bill out-of-pocket.
Au Health aims to be transparent about potential costs for out-of-network patients upfront. Their online Payment Estimator tool can provide cost estimates based on your insurance details. Patients should contact the billing office with any questions about out-of-network billing.
Avoiding Surprise Medical Bills
Surprise medical bills occur when a patient inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider and gets billed at a higher rate without expecting it. This often happens with emergency services or when an in-network doctor refers you elsewhere.
Thankfully, Au Health aims to avoid surprise billing by complying with Georgia’s comprehensive No Surprises Act. This law requires:
- Disclosing network status of providers
- Obtaining patient consent before out-of-network care
- Sending good faith estimates of costs
- An independent dispute resolution process
By following these rules, Au Health ensures patients receive clear communication and understand their financial responsibility before receiving services.
Offering Financial Assistance
In addition to simplified billing, Au Health offers financial assistance programs to patients who qualify:
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Charity Care Program: Low-income, uninsured patients can receive free or heavily discounted care based on sliding scale criteria up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
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Presumptive Eligibility: Uninsured patients presumed eligible for financial assistance based on participation in other means-tested programs like Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, etc.
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Hardship Adjustments: Extenuating circumstances like major medical events or natural disasters may warrant additional case-by-case financial aid.
To begin the application process for financial assistance, complete the online application or contact the billing office. Counselors can walk through the requirements and documentation needed based on your specific situation.
Take Control of Your Hospital Bills
Dealing with health expenses can certainly be a challenge. But Au Health aims to simplify billing processes so patients can focus on recovery rather than financial stress.
Their payment policies offer convenient online payments, personalized payment plans, financial assistance for those in need, and compliance with surprise billing protections. While healthcare costs remain complex, Au Health strives to streamline the payment piece as much as possible.
Taking the time to understand your bill, consider all payment options, and ask questions will go a long way towards simplifying the process. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the knowledgeable Au Health billing team for guidance navigating your specific insurance coverage and financial responsibilities.
Billing and Payment Policies
Augusta University Medical Center will provide care without discrimination for emergency medical conditions regardless of a patients ability to pay and Augusta University Medical Center will adhere to the hospital’s debt collection practices policy.
There is no doubt that health insurance benefit plans are confusing. Most plans do not provide 100% coverage for a hospital bill. Each plan has its own set of rules, exclusions and services that are not covered.
It is your responsibility to be familiar with your specific benefit plan. If you are unsure of your coverage for a particular medical procedure or test, you should call the customer service telephone number on your insurance card before scheduling the procedure.
Your health insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. As a service to you, Augusta University Health will send a claim to your health insurance company. By working together, we can minimize misunderstandings, payment delays and billing costs. However, you are responsible for any charges not covered by your benefit plan.
Depending on your plan, you may be required to get approval (pre-certification) before you receive hospital services. Even in a life-threatening situation, your benefit plan may require you to contact them within 24 hours of receiving hospital care. We will assist you in doing that, but if you don’t obtain approval from your insurance company, you are responsible for paying for your hospital care. Also, obtaining approval does not guarantee that the cost of the service is completely covered by your benefit plan. You will still be responsible for any charges not covered by your benefit plan.
If Augusta University Medical Center does not participate in your insurance plan, you can still receive services here. However, your insurance company will consider our services as “out of network” and you will probably be responsible for paying more of the bill.
How Does Medicaid Help People with Low Income Pay Medical Bills?
FAQ
How do I pay my Augusta University bill?
Does Augusta University have a patient portal?
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How do patients pay their bills?
In addition, the new location features a payment kiosk that patients can use to pay bills via the health system’s payment portal, using either debit or credit cards or personal checks.
Does Augusta University Health System charge the same for all patients?
Augusta University Health System charges the same for all patients but, depending on payment plans negotiated with individual health insurers your responsibility may vary.
Do health insurance plans pay a fee?
Health insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, commercial health plans, and worker’s compensation, do not pay charges. Instead, they pay a set price that has been negotiated in advance. The patient is then responsible for the out of pocket amount set by the health plan.