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Patient Accounts
Our professional staff will make every effort to help you with questions about your account. Please feel free to call us at (309) 353-0400. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We are closed for all major holidays.
If you need to visit Patient Accounts to make a payment or discuss your account in person, the cashier and counselor are located on the third floor of the south building on the Park Avenue side of Pekin Hospital. For your convenience, there is a drop box for payments located at the Pekin Post Office drop box area and inside the doors of the Pekin Hospital lobby.
As a courtesy to our patients, Pekin Hospital will submit your hospital claims according to the guidelines listed below. You are asked to present all needed information at the time of admission or registration. The hospital reserves the right to determine the length of time before payment of the account becomes the personal responsibility of the patient.
Patient Responsibilities
Prior Authorization. An increasing number of insurance carriers now require authorization prior to receiving hospital services. Most of these plans require either the admitting physician or the policyholder to initiate the prior authorization procedure. If your insurance has such a requirement, please inform your physician or contact your insurance carrier. Failure to meet your insurance requirements may result in partial or complete denial of insurance benefits from your insurance company.
Payment Responsibility. Payment is expected at the time of service unless insurance coverage has been verified. Pekin Hospital accepts cash, check and all major credit cards by phone, mail or in person.
Most physicians at Pekin Hospital are independent contractors. Therefore, you may receive separate billing for their services [i.e., Central Illinois Radiological Associates, Ltd. for radiology services and Peoria Tazewell Pathology Group (PTPG) for laboratory services]. You should check with your insurance carrier to determine whether these costs are covered. The billing phone number for Central Illinois Radiological Associates is (309) 494-9320. The billing office number for PTPG is (309) 353-4425 (Pekin area) or (309) 693-2620 (Peoria area).
An anticipated insurance payment does not replace the patient's obligation to pay any outstanding balance. In certain situations, if insurance payment is particularly slow, Pekin Hospital reserves the right to make full payment the immediate and direct responsibility of the patient or the responsible party.
Insurance Billing Guidelines
Medicare. Pekin Hospital is a certified Medicare provider. The Patient Accounts Office will bill for both Parts A and B Medicare benefits. Additionally, when secondary insurance policy information is presented at the time of admission, the Patient Accounts Office will submit up to two supplemental insurance claims for deductibles or coinsurance.
This supplemental billing can only be completed after Medicare payment has been received and will not be done by Pekin Hospital unless complete and accurate information is received at the time of admission. While Medicare must be allowed as much time needed to process a claim, supplemental insurance companies will have up to 30 days before the outstanding balance is determined to be the patient's responsibility.
Medicaid. These billings are submitted on behalf of the patient. The Patient Accounts Office within one working day of admission will verify Medicaid recipient numbers. The patient will be promptly notified of any anticipated liability.
Worker's Compensation. Charges for hospital services incurred as a result of work-related injury will be treated as a normal insurance claim. Benefits will be confirmed by the employer or claims adjuster within 48 hours of hospital admission.
As allowed by law, the patient will be held financially responsible for treatment.
Other Insurance. Pekin Hospital will bill up to two insurance companies if presented with insurance information at the time of hospital admission. Benefits will be confirmed by the Patient Accounts Office within 24 hours of admission or the next working day, in the case of weekends and holidays.
Accidents and Injuries. If you receive treatment as a result of a vehicle accident or public liability, Pekin Hospital will hold you personally responsible for your hospital bills since such cases may require many months to resolve. Pekin Hospital cannot wait for final decisions. An account is considered delinquent when terms of established hospital financing are not met. If an account becomes delinquent, the patient will be given one final notice and a grace period of 10 working days to forward any required payment amount.
Disputed balances will be subject to review by the Patient Accounts Office before Pekin Hospital pursues further collection efforts. In those cases where the Patient Accounts Office has exhausted all reasonable efforts to collect the balance due, the account will be referred to an attorney for legal action or to a state-licensed agency for follow-up and collection. Pekin Hospital has personnel available to assist the guarantor in establishing financial arrangements that are set forth in our guidelines which best meet the needs of the patient and Pekin Hospital.
Financing Programs
To assist the guarantor in meeting his/her obligations, Pekin Hospital provides the following financing programs.
Hospital Financing. All balances are due upon receipt of statement. However, Pekin Hospital has implemented a program with a financial institution to assist those in need of obtaining financing. Pekin Hospital will work closely with the patient and/or guarantor who qualify to secure external financing in those instances where payment in full cannot be made within the expected time frame.
Governmental Financial Assistance. Pekin Hospital will assist any patient and/or guarantor who qualify to secure any alternative financial aid available through federal, state or local agencies. The patient and/or guarantor are expected to assist the Patient Accounts Office by providing requested information.
Charity Care. Obtaining care at Pekin Hospital is not dependent on one's ability to pay. Pekin Hospital offers charity care for those who qualify. Consideration for charity care is based on the patient's and/or responsible party's financial status in comparison with the Schedule of Discounts established by Pekin Hospital. Please contact Patient Accounts for more information.
In addition, Pekin Hospital has an uninsured discount policy for individuals without insurance who do not qualify for charity care. Please contact (309) 353-0400 for information.
Apply for Financial Assistance
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