Patients & Visitors
Billing & Insurance
Frequently Asked Questions
Before Service
Day of Service
After Service
Before Service
Q. What Insurance does BAPTIST HEALTH accept?
A. BAPTIST HEALTH is proud to provide services for those covered by a wide variety of insurance companies. Click
Here for a partial list of contracts. If you are uncertain, you can also check with your insurance company to see if they have a contract with BAPTIST HEALTH.
Q. How can I find out what my insurance will pay and what I may be responsible for?
A. During your preregistration process a Baptist associate will verify your insurance policy information to determine what your plan covers, how much deductible remains to be paid under your plan, and how much co-pay or co-insurance you are responsible for. This information is then applied to the anticipated cost of your scheduled procedure to calculate an estimated amount that you will owe the hospital. The estimated charges are based on average hospital charges for patients admitted with similar diagnoses, and are for the actual cost of your hospitalization, including room charges, medication, nursing care, meals and other fees directly related to your care. This does not include other statements you may receive from other members of your healthcare team who may participate in your care. These other charges may include your own physician or other physicians such as an anesthesiologist, cardiologist, surgeon, radiologist or pathologist. Any questions about these bills should be directed to those physicians’ offices. If you are uninsured, your obligation will reflect the estimated charges less the 20% uninsured discount, and will reflect an additional 20% discount if you pay your bill within 30 days of discharge.
Q. Will I be required to pay anything before or when I arrive at the hospital?
A. During your pre-registration or admission process you will be required to pay the difference, if any, between the amount of charges covered by your verified insurance benefits and the estimated charges for your stay. The estimated charges are based on average hospital charges for patients admitted with similar diagnoses, and are for the actual cost of your hospitalization, including room charges, medication, nursing care, meals and other fees directly related to your care. This does not include other statements you may receive from other members of your healthcare team who may participate in your care. These other charges may include your own physician or other physicians such as an anesthesiologist, cardiologist, surgeon, radiologist or pathologist. Any questions about these bills should be directed to those physicians’ offices.
If you have insurance, your obligation may include deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance amounts, and services not covered under your policy. If you are uninsured, your obligation will reflect the estimated charges less the 20% uninsured discount, and will reflect an additional 20% discount if you pay your bill within 30 days of discharge. Your actual final charges maybe more or less than the estimate. If they are more, you will receive a bill reflecting those additional charges. If they are less you will promptly be issued a refund.
Additionally, if you have outstanding balances from prior visits to a Baptist facility, you will also be asked to pay these balances.
Q. What if I don't have insurance? Is financial assistance available?
A. Since 1920, BAPTIST HEALTH has provided patient-centered services with Christian compassion and personal concern. Consistent with our mission, BAPTIST HEALTH offers financial assistance and charity to eligible patients.
Patients without insurance who do not qualify for any third party or governmental health benefits will receive a discount of 20% of their billed charges and will be eligible for an additional 20% prompt pay discount if they pay their bill within 30 days.
Baptist will accept a number of different payment methods, including cash, checks, money orders, credit and debit cards (including American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover), and credit card installment plans.
Please note that in order for patients to be eligible for financial assistance or charity, they must first work with Baptist’s financial counselors to apply for any other potential paying programs, including Medicaid, COBRA, 1011 programs, disability or other programs that the patient may qualify for.
For more information on our Financial Assistance and Charity Guidelines, Click Here.
Q. What if I don't have health insurance? Will I be required to pay before service?
A. If you don't have health insurance coverage, you will be required to pay a deposit prior to services being rendered. You can contact the admissions department for the hospital you're going to and they will be able to tell you what the deposit requirement will be, and how you can pay. BAPTIST HEALTH will accept a number of different payment methods, including cash, checks, money orders, credit and debit cards (including American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover), and in some instances, credit card installment plans.
*Note: We will never delay or deny service due to an inability
to pay in life threatening (emergency) situations.
Q. What about prior-authorization or pre-certification for treatment?
A. Your insurance company may require prior-authorization or pre-certification for treatment. Please discuss this in advance with your physician and contact your insurance company to ensure treatment coverage. Your physician may provide this service for you. In some cases, insurance plans will not pay for hospital costs if patients do not pre-certify before coming to the hospital. In this case, you could be liable for that entire expense. Be sure to follow the terms of your plan. Contact your employer or insurance company with any specific questions about what is or is not covered by your insurance plan. Our filing of claims with your insurance company does not guarantee coverage or payment.
Q. Does Medicaid require pre-certification?
A. Medicaid requires most services to be authorized by the patient's Primary Care Physician. Therefore, in addition to the pre-certification, Medicaid requires a referral from your Primary Care Physician before the hospital is reimbursed for services it provides you.
Day of Service
Q. What do I need for pre-registration or admission to the hospital?
A. Besides anything your physician has asked you to bring in, please have your insurance card(s) and any other documents that will be useful for the registration and billing process. We will need to copy them so they can be part of the billing record for your stay in the hospital. Please also bring in a photo ID such as a driver’s license and ensure the name on your photo ID matches the name on your insurance card. Additionally, if you did not pay your deposit during your pre-registration process, please make sure you have cash, a check or credit/debit card to pay the amount discussed with you during your pre-registration process.
If you have additional questions regarding the registration process, please contact the admissions department of the facility where you will be having your services. The Admissions department phone numbers are as follows:
After Service
Q. Does Patient Financial Services handle the bills for Little Rock only?
A. Patient Financial Services handles the patient accounts for the following BAPTIST HEALTH Hospitals:
Our physician billing services include:
- BAPTIST HEALTH’s After Hours Pediatric Clinic
- Physicians
- Any EKG Interpretation Billing for BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center - Little Rock, BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center - North Little Rock and the BAPTIST HEALTH Transplant Office.
Patient Financial Services does not handle billing for:
Q. Who can I talk to with questions about my bill?
A. You can call our patient group at (501) 202-3900. Our office hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Be prepared to provide your patient account number found on your bill. You can also contact a representative by e-mail by Clicking Here.
Q. Can I pay my hospital bill online?
A. You may pay your hospital bill at our Online Bill Payment section of our website.
Q. Can I pay my hospital bill at any facility?
A. Yes, you may pay any of your current hospital bills at any Baptist Health facility.
Q. Do I have to file my insurance claim?
A. As a courtesy to you, we will file all hospital-related medical claims with your insurance. Because benefits vary with each insurance plan, we automatically bill the claim for the full amount of the service. In addition, we will be sending you periodic billing statements with messages advising you of the status of your account. If a statement advises you that your insurance has not paid, please assist us in expediting the payment process by calling your insurance company for a claim status. Continual open communications between you and our department will result in quicker claims resolution.
Q. Will the bill from BAPTIST HEALTH be my only bill?
A. During your visit to the hospital, you may experience a variety of tests, procedures and services. Many of these services are performed by healthcare providers who work in the hospital but bill separately for their services. After your visit, you may receive bills from several different healthcare providers, such as an anesthesiologist, radiologist, pathologist, ER physician, ambulance, CRNA or your physician. Any questions about these other bills should be directed to those physicians’ offices.
Q. Why did I receive a bill from a doctor I did not see?
A. Hospitals often consult with specialized doctors as part of their efforts to provide the best care for their patients. Sometimes these specialists are sent items like lab tests or X-rays to help their expert review. You will receive a bill directly from those doctors for their work.
Q. Why did I receive a letter from a collection agency?
A. We make several attempts to contact you during the normal course of our billing process to let you know what portion of your bill you are personally responsible for. This amount is calculated after we have received payment or denial from your insurance company. Therefore you may receive letters or calls from a collection agency if, after several attempts to contact you, we have had no response.