As much as hospital executives would like to bill their patients quickly, healthcare’s billing processes are complicated and make it difficult to do so.
As a result, bills don’t go out to patients for about 30-45 days.
“Medical claims are very complex to put together,” said Blake Evans, vice president of revenue cycle for Rush University System for Health. “If you think about everything from your demographic information to the procedures that you have, it has to be translated to coding, has to get to your insurance provider, and then it has to be adjudicated by your insurance (plan),” Evans said.
If the patient doesn’t have insurance, a bill will be sent more quickly, maybe as soon as two weeks, because an insurer judication process doesn’t have to take place, he said.
Given how complicated healthcare and healthcare billing is, mistakes do occur. Patients who think their bills could be inaccurate should call their provider’s billing office or insurer as soon as they can.
“Don’t be afraid to act,” Evans said. “These are your benefits. These are the procedures that you have had. So, if something seems questionable, don’t hesitate,” he said.
The place to start is the insurance company’s explanation of benefits, which describes how much the insurer pays and how much the patient owes.