North Walton Doctors Hospital Financial Policy
North Walton Doctors Hospital (NWDH) is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of our community. We ask that you cooperate in meeting your financial obligation to NWDH. However, if you anticipate any difficulty in paying your hospital bill, or if you would like to apply for financial assistance as outlined below, please contact
Patient Financial Services
(850)-920- 2065
Monday through Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Before You Receive Services
Your physician will contact NWDH to schedule services. Once services are scheduled, a Patient Account Representative will review your insurance information and confirm your benefits. They will also ensure any prior authorization requirements have been met. They will prepare an estimate of charges customized to your insurance plan and contact you to discuss your estimated out-of-pocket expenses. You have a right to request an estimate before services and to receive it within seven (7) business days of your request.
In addition, you have a right to receive a revised estimate should your scheduled services be changed by your physician. Even if you do not have insurance, you may still request an estimate.
- Services may be provided in the hospital by the facility as well as by other healthcare practitioners who may separately bill the patient;
- Healthcare practitioners who provide services in the hospital may or may not participate with the same health insurers or health maintenance organizations as the hospital; and
- Prospective patients should contact the health care practitioner who will provide services in the hospital to determine which health insurers and health maintenance organizations the practitioner participates in as a network provider or preferred provider.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires all hospitals to publish a machine-readable list of their charges. This list, also called the hospital chargemaster, is a comprehensive listing of the standard prices established by the hospital for individual services and supplies. The chargemaster should not be used to estimate a patient’s actual cost of care.
Service Bundles
For information on service bundles, please visit FloridaHealthPriceFinder.com. Service bundles are non-personalized estimates of costs that may be incurred for hospital services, and include all components of care, such as physician, ancillary, and hospital payments. Actual costs will be based on services provided and may be more or less than the estimates found on FloridaHealthPriceFinder.
Contracted Services
The following medical practice groups are contracted with North Walton Doctors Hospital to provide services to our patients. Contact our providers listed here to obtain a personalized estimate or to learn about their billing practices and participation with your insurance provider or health maintenance organization (HMO), as the practitioners may not participate with the same health insurers or HMOs as the hospital.
What Types of Insurance Are Accepted?
Except for outpatient, non-emergent procedures, North Walton Doctors Hospital Hospital will generally accept and file a claim for any type of insurance provided. If North Walton Doctors Hospital is a participating provider, your insurance company will receive a discounted rate based on its contract. Any amount indicated as patient responsibility will be billed to you after insurance payment. If NWDH is not contracted with your insurance company, you will be responsible for any amount not paid by your health insurance plan. In addition, you may receive services from independent providers, such as radiologists, pathologists, and other physicians. If so, you will receive a separate bill from those providers. You should contact your insurance company to determine if the independent providers are in your network.
In addition to commercial health insurance plans, North Walton Doctors Hospital Hospital participates with Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-sponsored programs. Regardless of the type of coverage, please be sure to provide an insurance card at registration. It is your responsibility to ensure we have accurate, current insurance information on file.
Commerical Managed Care
COMING SOON!
(In Negotiations)
Medicaid Managed Care
COMING SOON!
(In Negotations)
Medicare Managed Care
COMING SOON!
(In Negotations)
What If I Do Not Have Health Insurance?
If you do not have health insurance and need assistance with your financial obligation, please speak to an admission clerk or call the Financial Counselor at (850)-920- 2065. You may qualify for financial aid based on your income. Approval is determined on a sliding scale methodology, based on the current year Federal Poverty Guideline as established in FAC 65F-16 (154.011(c)(1), 154.011(c)(7). If approved for assistance, the approval will be valid for six months. After six months, a new financial aid application will be required.
What If I Do Not Pay My Bill?
Payment on accounts will be pursued consistently, regardless of race, language, gender, age, religion, education, employment or student status, disposition, relationship, insurance coverage, community standing, or any other discriminatory differentiating factor. Every guarantor will be given reasonable time and communication to be aware of and understand their financial responsibility. The guarantor will be held financially responsible for services rendered.
A statement of services will be sent to each patient/guarantor in incremental billing cycles. Billing representatives may attempt to contact the patient/guarantor via telephone, mail, letter, or email to pursue collections. All collection efforts will be documented on the account. An outside collection agency may be used in addition to or instead of subsequent billings, follow-up letters, telephone, and personal contacts. The outside collection agencies may report the account to the Credit Reporting Bureau. North Walton Doctors Hospital Hospital and any outside collection entities will follow the Fair Debt Collection Act during collection activities.