The administration and staff of Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center want to ensure that the quality medical services you receive at our facility is not overshadowed by billing questions or problems. We are aware of the high cost of medical services and the confusing nature of insurance. Therefore, we have developed this summary to explain our billing process.
Payments can be made by: cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express at the Cashier’s Office, Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. After hours and weekend payments can be made at the Emergency Room Registration Desk. It is our policy to ask for deductible, co-pay & co-insurance based upon your insurance plan.
Our billing cycles depend upon the type of insurance you carry. The different categories are as follows:
• Workers’ Compensation • Commercial / Blue Cross / CHAMPUS
• Medicaid • Self Pay (No Insurance)
• Medicare
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
No patient statements are generated for this category. The hospital will follow up with the employer and/or insurance carrier until the account is paid in full. If the claim is denied, the account will be changed to a self pay account and will be pursued per the guidelines listed under Self Pay.
MEDICAID
No patient statements are generated for this category. The hospital will follow up with Medicaid until the account is paid in full. The patient will be billed for the co-pay amount, if applicable. If the claim is denied, the account will be changed to a self pay account and will be pursued per the guidelines listed under Self Pay.
MEDICARE
No patient statements are generated for this category. The hospital will follow up with Medicare until the account is paid in full. After Medicare has paid, the deductible and/or coinsurance will be billed to the secondary (supplemental) insurance, if applicable. The hospital will follow up with the insurance company per the guidelines listed below under Commercial / Blue Cross / CHAMPUS. If there is no supplemental insurance, the hospital will follow the Self Pay guidelines.
COMMERCIAL
BLUE CROSS CHAMPUS
A claim is filed with the insurance company, usually within three days from discharge. If payment has not been received from the insurance company within 30 days of filing, a statement is mailed asking you to follow up with your carrier. If payment is not received within the next two weeks, a second statement is mailed advising you that we will now be looking to you for payment. At this point, the account is changed to a self pay account and the hospital will follow the Self Pay guidelines.
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center files insurance for our patients as a courtesy. We will attempt to collect the money from the insurance company, but ultimately the payment is your responsibility. We encourage you to contact your insurance company to assist us in the collection of the account. Many times an insurance company will pay the account more quickly if the patient calls.
SELFPAY
A statement is mailed approximately one week from discharge, asking for payment. A second statement is mailed two weeks later, asking for payment in full, or that acceptable payment arrangements be made with the business office. In addition to the above steps, phone calls are made to patients in this category asking for payments or arrangements.
A key phrase in the above paragraph is acceptable payment arrangements. We are not a bank nor a financial institution. We do not accept long-term payment arrangements on our accounts. Accounts, which are not satisfied by one of the above methods, will be forwarded to our collection agency.
Free Financial Counseling is available to assist in paying your hospital bills. Please contact us for more information.
Hopefully, this has explained how your account will be handled. If you have any questions regarding your account, please do not hesitate to call our business office at (843) 339-2100.
Patient Billing Information
Important disclosure information: The bill you receive from Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center is for hospital services only. In addition, the hospital works with independent professional physician groups that, if applicable, may help provide care to you during your visit here. Although the hospital works hard to make sure these groups are contracted with the same insurance plans, we cannot always make that guarantee. Therefore, we have provided their contact information should you have any questions, either before or after your visit.
Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center Outside Billing Agencies
Emergency Room Physicians Pee Dee Emergency Services (800) 355-2470
Anesthesia Services Sand Hill Medical (800) 919-1190
Pathology Services Pathology Services Associates (843) 664-4314
Radiology Reading Services MSN (866) 885-7486
CRNA Central Penn Mgt. (866) 441-9717
Ped EKG Reading Services Dr. Charles Trant (843) 777-7300
Pulmonary Func.Test Reading Dr. Francis Dayrit (843) 332-6016
Minor Children: Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center will not be involved in custody matters. Accounts for minor children of separated or divorced parents are the responsibility of the parent who consents to the treatment.
Third Party Liability: Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center will not be involved with liability disputes, however, as a courtesy, we will forward an itemized bill to an attorney or auto insurance if the treatment involves injuries from an auto accident or other accident caused by another party.