Over the past decade, Memorial Regional Health has done community satisfaction surveys annually so you can give us honest feedback on how we’re doing—and what we can do better. One pattern we’ve seen is that billing has been a sore spot.

We’re pleased to report that we’ve recently completed an MRH billing department overhaul to improve our process and serve you better.

“We’ve done a really big excavation of all the problems,” said MRH Revenue Cycle Director Amber Turvey. “We’ve reconfigured our billing and staffing issues to ensure that patients will now be billed accurately the first time and in a timely fashion.”

Here are some specific billing changes you’ll start seeing this month.

Single Bill

In the past, Memorial Regional Health has billed separately for provider charges and facility charges. Now you will receive one bill and one monthly statement for almost everything that happens in our building.

“It makes sense that patients would receive a single bill for all MRH services,” Turvey said. “The bill will still be itemized, of course, but having everything in one spot will make understanding and managing the billing much easier for families.”

Some services provided through or in collaboration with MRH do not take place inside MRH or with MRH employees, however, and those will still be billed separately. These include radiology reading fees, anesthesia, Home Health and Hospice, and lab bills from outsourced lab tests.

Refunds

Because insurance payments can sometimes arrive late, patients may end up paying portions of their bill that are later reimbursed by insurers. When this happens, MRH issues refunds. We’ve recommitted to sending refunds out quickly because we know that for families, cash flow can be critical.

Financial Counseling

MRH has added an on-site, full-time certified financial counselor to help families work through payment options and plans when needed. And because more services are now included in a single bill, the counselor can help create one payment plan for all MRH in-house services.

Healthcare Insurance Application Assistance

MRH is now a Certified Application Site for Affordable Care Act and Medicaid insurance plans. During the Open Enrollment period starting in November (for coverage in 2023), our Certified Application Counselors will be holding enrollment events and office hours to answer questions and help families get signed up. Keep an eye out for dates and times.

No-Show Policy Update

One final change to our billing and care provision processes regards appointment no-shows.

“We have a lot of community members who make appointments but don’t show up for them,” Turvey said. “This creates problems because other patients who need to be seen can’t always get a timely appointment. The schedule is booked. But then at the last minute, an appointment slot opens, yet it’s too late to have someone else fill it.”

Effectively immediately, MRH patients who have three instances in which they either don’t show up for an appointment or are ten or more minutes late for an appointment may be refused future service by that provider. This is at the discretion of each provider.

“This policy will help us reduce wait times for appointments and serve our community more effectively,” Turvey said.