Billing & Insurance

We bill for physicians and other healthcare providers who are members of the IVCH Medical Group. We also bill for IVCH emergency room physicians and for some physician-provided cardiology services. All other physicians are independent practitioners and will bill you or your insurance carrier directly.

It is important for you to know if your insurance company or HMO/PPO require precertification for any care provided at a hospital. If precertification is required and you or your physician do not take steps to ensure this authorization is obtained, you may be responsible for reduced benefits due to penalty costs or the possible denial of the entire claim.

Within 45 days after billing, you will be billed for any balance due. If you have not provided us with adequate information to bill your insurance company, we will bill you.

We will bill Medicare for all covered charges and also bill one supplemental insurance plan for you for the balance if you have provided us with that information. If payment is not received within 30 days from your secondary insurance, we will ask you to contact your insurance carrier to speed up the payment. If you do not have secondary insurance, we will bill you directly for the remaining balance.

Medicare does not cover all services provided in the hospital setting. Here are two examples of uncovered Medicare Services:

• Some drugs in the outpatient hospital setting may not be covered by Medicare. These include pills, ointments, eye drops and some injectables. IVCH has made every effort to identify covered drugs. IVCH will bill you for any uncovered Medicare drugs used during your visit.
• Ambulance services must meet Medicare’s Medical Necessity criteria to be covered. If the patient is able to sit in a wheelchair, the ambulance service is most likely not covered.

For more information regarding uncovered Medicare services, call 815.780.3554.

We accept all Illinois Department of Public Aid patients with hospitalization coverage shown on a current valid card. The patient is responsible for payment of the spend-down portion when applicable.

In cases where liability insurance or litigation is involved, we will expect payment from you regardless of your claim against another party. With proper authorization, we will make our records available to you or your attorney.

If your employer has recognized your injury as work-related, we will bill your employer. If payment is not received within 30 days of the billing date, we will ask you to contact your employer to expedite payment. If your claim is denied by your employer or worker’s compensation carrier, you will be billed directly.

If insurance is not involved, you are fully responsible for your hospital bill. It should be paid within 30 days of receipt of our bill.

We will recognize workers’ compensation cases when the insurance company guarantees payment in writing prior to or at the time of your admission.

If you believe you have a charge error, contact the Patient Financial Services Department and request an audit of your account at 815.780.3418.

IVCH will provide you with an itemized statement upon request. You can call the Patient Financial Services Department to obtain a copy at 815.780.3205.

We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover. You can make your payment over the phone by calling 815.780.3205, or we can accept your payment online.

Illinois Valley Hospice is a Medicare-certified hospice program. This status means the hospice services we provide are covered under Medicare and Medicaid. We also accept most private insurance plans.

Hospice coverage generally includes any services related to the terminal diagnosis, including:

• Medications for pain relief and symptom management
• Medical supplies and equipment
• Physician services
• Medical social services
• Nursing services on an intermittent basis
• Home health aide and homemaker services
• Continuous care during periods of crisis
• Short-term hospital care
• Trained volunteers for in-home respite on an intermittent basis

No one is ever denied care for financial reasons. For patients and families who may be unable to pay for hospice services, Illinois Valley Hospice offers a charity care program. For more information, call the hospice billing department at 815.224.1307.