Billing and Collection Policy

Policy:

A primary focus of J. Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital (Dosher) is the provision of the medically necessary treatment to patients regardless of their ability to pay. It is the policy of Dosher to ensure that debts owed by patients for medical care are collected in a timely manner. Payments for such debts will be pursued in a uniform procedure applicable to all Dosher patients. Any patient payment resulting in an overpayment shall be refunded if there are no outstanding account balances with Dosher.

Procedure:

All patients are offered the Sliding Fee Discount application upon presentation at Dosher and notices are included in our statements, the patient may call the Patient Accounting department at 910-457-3810, and also find on our website at www.Dosher.org/financialassistance. The SFS policy outlines the process to apply and qualify for the discount. The inability to pay shall not be a barrier to care.

Dosher will bill any insurance company in effect for all patients at the time of service. It is the responsibility of the patient to present their insurance at the time of registration. If no insurance is given at the time of service, the patient will be registered as private or self-pay. The patient may send insurance information to the Patient Accounts’ office at a later time but if it is past the contracted time limit of their payer, the patient will still be held responsible for their balance. In the event, the patient needs to dispute their bill or have questions regarding charges; they can reach out to the Patient Accounting department located at 3009 Medical Plaza Ln, Southport or by phone 910-457-3810. To inquire about the estimate of charges, contact PSC at 910-457-3816. Information can also be located on the website at www.Dosher.org/EstimateofCharges.

After insurance responds or the patient is private pay, the billing system will generate statements every four weeks. Once the patient has received three statements, which are considered the “Final Notice,” the account will qualify for the collection agency report. The determination of the transfer to bad debt will be based on the ability to establish if the account can be collected by standard internal methods or an outside agency if it represents the best method to recover payment. If determined that the account can be handled internally, the account will be removed from the collection agency report; otherwise, the account will be transferred to a collection agency after 30 days from the “Final Notice,” Any accounts that are being reviewed for a sliding fee discount will also be held until the determination is made.

For debts arising from the provision of care by the facility, the doctrine of necessaries as it existed at common law shall apply equally to both spouses, except where they are permanently living separate and apart, but shall in no event create any liability between the spouses as to each other. No lien arising out of a judgment for a debt owed the facility under this section shall attach to the judgment debtors’ principal residence, or, if the land upon which the principal residence is located is greater than five acres, then no lien shall attach to the judgment debtors’ principal residence and the surrounding five acres, held by them as tenants by the entireties or that was held by them as tenants by the entireties prior to the death of either spouse where the tenancy terminated as a result of the death of either spouse. (G.S. 131E-91(d)(5)

Any debt arising from the provision of care by the facility to a minor, there shall be no execution on or otherwise forces sale of the principal residence of the custodial parent or parents for a judgment obtained for the outstanding debt until such time as the minor is either no longer residing with the custodial parent or parents or until the minor reaches the age of majority, whichever occurs first. (G.S. 131E-91(d)(6)

The collection agency is used to obtain payment. The agency may not harass, threaten or imply that the patient can no longer receive treatment at the facility. The collection agency may report any accounts placed with them to all credit bureaus if payment is not received within 30-days unless the patient disputes the debt. No account will be pursued through litigation with out the facility CFO approval. The hospital will submit proof of debt for all disputes or resolve the dispute.

Related Policy: Sliding Fee Discount Program Policy