Patient Accounts Department

The NCH Healthcare System is committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients. To ensure the success of this commitment, we must be financially responsible. We take a positive and proactive approach to patient billing and collections with the goal of receiving payment for services rendered in the most efficient, timely and customer-friendly manner possible.

Payment and Financing Options:

If you have no insurance coverage, a cost sharing plan, coverage through a charitable organization or another form of payment, for hospital based services, you are eligible to receive a 60% discount from the total billed charges for your services if the discounted balance is paid in full within 60 days. (Patient requested private room or Gulfview Suite, cosmetic procedures and patient convenience charges are not discounted).

The statements you will receive following your service will reflect a discounted amount due. We will accept that amount as full payment if the amount is received within 60 days. Payment can be made by cash, check, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express, on our website at www.nchmd.org or check by phone at (239) 624-6400 or (800) 436-8454.

Your Financial Responsibilities

NCH accepts responsibility for providing you with high quality medical services. We ask that you accept responsibility for paying for those services in a timely manner.

Although NCH participates in many Managed Care Plans it is very important for you to determine if NCH is a provider under your plan and ensure you have benefits that will pay for the services ordered by your Physician or Medical Provider. It is the patient’s responsibility to contact their insurance health plan to confirm that NCH is an in network provider.

It is essential for you to know if your insurance requires pre-certification in order for payment to be made for your services. Please notify your physician if pre-certification is required prior to any elective tests or procedures. Please help us to protect you from having your insurance claim denied for failure to pre-certify. This may result in reduced benefits or denial of your insurance claim all together.

The patient (or guarantor such as spouse, parent, etc.) is ultimately responsible for the charges incurred for tests and/or treatments received at our facilities. Even after insurance has made payment for services provided, some charges typically remain to be paid by the patient, whether they are services not covered by insurance, co-insurance, or deductibles.

Medical Bills

Dealing with medical bills is never a pleasant task. However, NCH Healthcare System (NCH) Patient Accounts Department will do everything we can to assist you in understanding your charges and assisting you to determine what your insurance coverage provides, or if you don’t have insurance, what options may be available.

We are committed to filing your claims accurately and timely with Medicare, Medicaid, and other third party insurance carriers. If you do not have insurance, with your assistance, we will work with you to determine if you may qualify for a local, state or governmental program that may provide medical coverage. If it is determined that you are not eligible for one of these programs we do offer other options in order to satisfy your outstanding bills with NCH.

Policy on requesting an estimate for hospital services

Naples Community Hospital, Inc. is dedicated to caring for persons suffering from illness or injury who may require inpatient, outpatient or emergency treatment. In order to assist our patients to make informed decisions on where to receive their healthcare, NCH will provide an estimate for scheduled, elective tests or procedures whenever possible. The estimate will include the average charge for the procedure based on data for the same service previously provided at our facility. If your physician has provided you with a procedure code(s) for the anticipated service, this information will assist to ensure the accuracy of the estimate.

It is important to remember that the estimate provided to you could vary depending on your overall health and medical condition or if additional tests or treatments are required and ordered by your physician or if unforeseen complications arise during your hospital service. It is very difficult to give an exact amount for anticipated services before a person visits the hospital because the treatment a patient receives will be based on their specific healthcare needs.

The estimate provided by NCH does not include the professional services provided by your physician or any other medical provider who is involved in your care. If you are comparing estimated charges with other hospitals or providers, check to see if the physicians’ fees are included in the estimate provided.

Naples Community Hospital, Inc. makes every effort to provide clear estimates for services to our patients. If you would like to receive an estimate for an elective, scheduled test or procedure, please call (239) 624-6400 or 800-436-8454 and select the option to request an estimate for service or you may email your request using the form located HERE

Workers Compensation and Auto Claims

NCH will bill these claims directly to the appropriate insurance company on the individual’s behalf. Payment will be made directly to NCH.

Report Claims:
It is very important that individuals report these claims to the employer/auto insurance agency so that a claim number is assigned.

Provide Information:
At time of registration, we require the name of the employer’s workers compensation insurance carrier or the auto insurance carrier. If this information is not available, it is very important that you call our office at (239) 624-6400 or (800) 436-8454 and provide us with the name and address of the insurance carrier along with the claim number and/or policy number. This will insure proper billing of the claim on the patient’s behalf. In accordance with workers’ compensation regulations, failure to provide this information within 10 days following the service will result in the patient/guarantor becoming the responsible party for all charges. If you have retained an Attorney regarding a liability case please contact the Business Office and provide this information at (239)-624-6400 or 800) 436-8454. Often liability cases may take a significant amount of time to resolve and this can assist with avoiding the bill from further collection efforts.

Charge Transparency

In compliance with the Affordable Care Act, 2718(e), of the Public Health Service Act, Naples Community Hospital, Inc. will provide transparency with respect to pricing so that our consumers may have a better understanding of their healthcare expenses. We will make our best attempt to provide patients with an estimate of charges for services upon reasonable request. These services may be categorized by inpatient, outpatient and professional services. This information may be requested by calling (239) 624-6400 or 800-436-8454 (select the option to request an estimate) or sending an email using the form located HERE

Hospital billing can be complicated and difficult to understand, even for those with experience in the matter. In addition to providing transparency, we have also included a consumer guide to healthcare prices published by Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). This document is available in English or Spanish (Espanol).

• Understanding Healthcare Prices: A Consumer Guide
• Comprensión de los precios de la salud: una guía del usuario

Charity Care and Financial Assistance are available to those who qualify

After reviewing an individual’s ability to pay, if it is determined that the patient’s/guarantor’s family income and assets are within 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG), charity care may be provided. For uninsured or underinsured patients who have income and assets greater than 200% of the FPG, Financial Assistance may be provided based on the patient completing the NCH Financial Form and providing required supporting documentation to demonstrate need. To make certain that appropriate resources are offered to patients, NCH considers each request individually. This may include a review of federal tax returns, current pay stub verification, and/or a denial of third party benefits, if applicable. The NCH charity and financial assistance policies are available from the NCH Patient Business Office upon request or click on the link below.

• Charity & Financial Assistance Policy
• Financial Assistance Policy - Plain language summary
• Application for Financial Aid
• Formulario Financiero

Medicare

If you are covered by Medicare, we will file your claim for you. If you have a Medicare supplemental policy, upon our receipt of payment from Medicare we will bill your supplemental carrier as well.

Florida Medicaid

We work with several organizations that can assist you with qualifying for Medicaid benefits or local county assistance programs. We have staff available to take your application and assist you with the process of obtaining these benefits. Please advise the registration staff or call (239) 624-3600 (for NCH North Naples Hospital, call (239) 552-8300) to obtain assistance with this process or to obtain information on the requirements for qualifying for Florida Medicaid. Our staff can translate in all languages so please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

If you are currently covered by Florida Medicaid, upon verification of your eligibility we will submit your claim. If your Florida Medicaid eligibility is pending, once eligibility is determined, please contact us at (239) 624-6400 with your Medicaid provider and ID number.

Third Party Insurance

If you are covered by commercial insurance, a managed care plan or other third party insurance, we will file your claims for you as a courtesy. You are responsible for any out-of-pocket deductible or co-payment amounts.

Physician's Services

When obtaining tests or treatments at any NCH Healthcare System facility, patients will receive separate bills from physicians who provided services during the patient encounter. Professional services provided by your physician or any other medical provider who is involved in your care will be billed separately. Examples include the emergency room physicians, radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, surgeons, your attending physician and consulting physicians. Billing and collection policies for physician services are at their discretion and not the NCH Patient Accounts Department.

Health care practitioners who provide services in the hospital may or may not participate with the same health insurers or health maintenance organization as the hospital. 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.