Demystifying Texas Children’s Bill Pay: A Step-By-Step Guide

Paying medical bills can be confusing and stressful, especially when your child is involved. As a parent you want to make sure you understand all the steps and options to pay your Texas Children’s bill correctly and on time. This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about Texas Children’s bill pay to make the process as seamless as possible.

Overview of Texas Children’s Billing

Texas Children’s Hospital is one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States It offers a wide range of services across multiple campuses and facilities in the greater Houston area.

When your child receives care from Texas Children’s. you may get separate bills from different entities including

• The hospital for facility fees, medications, supplies, etc.

• Texas Children’s Physician Services Organization for doctor services

• Specialists your child saw during their visit

• Texas Children’s Pediatrics for outpatient pediatric care

• Texas Children’s Urgent Care centers

Previously these bills came separately. But in March 2022, the hospital consolidated billing so families now receive one combined statement for hospital and physician charges.

Why Did Texas Children’s Consolidate Billing?

This consolidation aims to simplify billing for families. Benefits include:

• One bill for hospital and doctor services
• Payment plans combined into one monthly payment
• Hospital and physician account balances merged

The goal is ease and efficiency for Texas Children’s families.

When to Expect Your Bill

Bills are typically sent within 30 days of discharge from inpatient stays or after an outpatient visit. However, it may take up to 90 days for all claims to process through insurance.

If you haven’t received a bill within 90 days, contact Texas Children’s Patient Accounts at 800-722-2570.

Details on Your Bill

Your statement contains important details needed to pay your bill:

• Guarantor name: The guarantor is financially responsible for the patient. This is typically a parent or guardian.

• Guarantor number: This unique number identifies the guarantor.

• Date of service: The date your child received care.

• Description of services: General summary of the care your child received.

• Charges: The pre-insurance price of services rendered. This is not what you owe.

• Insurance payments: Amount insurance paid toward the charges.

• Adjustments: Discounts given on the original charges.

• Patient responsibility: The remaining amount you owe based on insurance.

Having this information handy makes paying your bill much easier.

Payment Options from Texas Children’s

Texas Children’s offers many convenient payment options:

Pay Online

The fastest way to pay is online via credit/debit card or digital wallet. Options include:

• Texas Children’s Account Portal: Make a one-time payment or set up recurring payments.

• Apple/Google Pay: Securely pay using fingerprint ID.

Pay via MyChart

MyChart is Texas Children’s patient portal. With a MyChart account you can:

• View statements
• Store payment information
• Check payment history
• And more

Pay by Phone

Call 800-722-2570 to pay by credit/debit card. Have your statement ready.

Pay by Mail

Send checks or money orders to:

Texas Children’s Hospital
P.O. Box 4494
Houston, TX 77210-4494

Automatic Payments

Set up monthly auto-pay from your bank account through the patient portal.

Payment Plans

If you need help paying, Texas Children’s offers interest-free payment plans tailored to your financial situation. Call 832-824-5505 to learn more.

They’ll work with you on a reasonable timeline for paying your balance.

Financial Assistance Options

Texas Children’s offers financial help for families who qualify:

Medicaid

Children with Medicaid as primary or secondary insurance have their deductibles and coinsurance covered.

Charity Care

Full or partial charity care is available based on family income and size.

Payment Assistance

Discounts may be offered if charity care criteria aren’t met.

Start by completing a Financial Assistance Application available online or at hospital Admitting.

Tips for Navigating Your Bill

• Don’t ignore bills. Contact Texas Children’s promptly with any questions or issues.

• Confirm your billing address is correct. Update any changes through patient registration.

• Check that all family members are listed correctly on the account.

• If your child has two insurances, notify both companies. This prevents delays.

• Keep track of payments you make directly to providers. You’ll need to deduct these from the balance.

• Watch for correspondence about outstanding claims. Your balance may change once claims are processed.

• If you get bills for your child from other entities, call to have them merged into your consolidated account.

Avoiding Surprises and Late Fees

You can take proactive steps to avoid getting hit with surprising bills or late fees:

• Provide insurance details upfront and update any changes so claims process smoothly.

• Review bills promptly and follow up on unclear charges.

• Pay your patient responsibility within 30 days of receiving a statement.

• Set up autopay or make payments manually by the due date.

• Ask about financial assistance before services if you foresee difficulty paying.

Being organized and communicating with Texas Children’s early goes a long way toward a positive billing experience.

Get Help with Your Bill

If you have any issues regarding your Texas Children’s bill, call 800-722-2570 for assistance.

Financial counselors are available Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm to:

• Explain charges
• Initiate payment plans
• Connect you with financial assistance
• And more

You can also email questions to: [email protected]

Key Takeaways

• Texas Children’s recently consolidated hospital and doctor billing into one statement for simplicity.

• Multiple convenient payment options exist, including online, phone, mail, and auto-pay.

• MyChart allows you to view statements and pay bills through the patient portal.

• Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. Ask about options.

• Promptly address unclear charges and pay your responsibility by the due date.

• Contact billing staff if you have any questions or need help!

Paying your Texas Children’s bill does not need to be scary or confusing. Follow this guide for a smooth billing process from start to finish. The knowledgeable Texas Children’s team is ready to support you each step of the way.