Financial Policies
If you are covered by insurance, the insurance verifier will contact your insurance company to verify if you have any patient responsibility due at the time of your procedure. This will take place 3 days prior to your appointment with North Pinellas Surgery Center. Our insurance department will contact you by phone to let you know if you have a payment due. This would only be an estimated amount as there are no guarantees with insurance and additional procedures could be performed which could increase the patient’s responsibility.
The amount of your coverage and patient responsibility is determined by your insurance company. The payment collected by North Pinellas Surgery Center will be for the surgery center only. Your payment will not cover physician, pathology, anesthesia or any additional charges.
We always encourage our patient to contact their own insurance company prior to arriving to the surgery center if they have questions. Please feel free to contact our insurance department at 727-771-8333 ext 224 as we are here to help maximize your health benefits.
If a patient balance exists after 60 days, and 3 monthly billing statements have been mailed to your address we have on file we will be notifying you that your balance is overdue. If you do not contact our office within 30 days of the date posted on the letter we will be forced to turn your account over to our collections agency.
Patients and prospective patients have the right to request a personalized estimate from the center.
North Pinellas Surgery center does not offer charity care.
Cash and Credit Arrangements
PURPOSE:
To document in a legal manner the financial obligations of a patient to the Center.
POLICY:
Cash and Credit arrangements will be made in advance of the day of the procedure. Special arrangements will be made by the administrator.
PROCEDURE:
1. The administrator will authorize extended terms for patient payments if proof of financial hardship is provided.
2. If the patient requests an alternative payment method due to financial hardship, the following will be offered:
a. Pay half of the charge up front with the balance due in two equal monthly payments.
b. Pay the entire amount in three equal monthly payments.
c. Finance charges may be added for extended payment plans or failure to make timely payments.
3. Written financial arrangements stating the terms and the dates of the payments will be signed by the patient or legal guardian prior to admission. The patient will receive a copy of the agreement and the original will be maintained in the patient’s record.
4. The amount due on the day of the procedure will be documented in the record.
Patient Notice Regarding Anesthesia Services
Anesthesia services are provided at North Pinellas Surgery Center by PCAA. PCAA contracts and employees’ anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists as part of the anesthesia care team.
Anesthesia services will be billed separately from the services of North Pinellas Surgery Center. For billing questions or concerns, please call: 1-800-959-5509.
If in the event PCAA/AD is not a participating provider with your insurance plan, PCAA/AD will work with your insurance carrier through various appeal efforts in order to minimize any penalties or costs that your insurance says that you owe. We are often able to negotiate with your insurer to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses due to PCAA/AD being out-of-network status, but we cannot guarantee a result. You will also be required to pay the deductible and/or co-pay amounts determined by your policy/plan.