In the Spotlight: Patient Accounts
The Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital Patient Accounts Department manages the patient claims owed for hospital services. Patient Accounts is responsible for submitting patient claims to insurance companies, billing patients, collecting and posting payments and managing the overall patient claim process.
Associates work with insurance companies to ensure that the health system is paid appropriately for heath care services. Patient Accounts works with patients to help them determine how they will pay for their services, which may include determining if they are eligible for assistance through government programs or our own assistance programs.
Working closely with other departments, they ensure patients are charged appropriately and the correct information is gathered to bill insurance companies as well as patients. The department is critical to the overall health system operations because it works to make sure that our hospitals are reimbursed for the outstanding care.
“I am proud of the work our Patient Accounts Department does do on behalf of the hospitals,” says Jeff Costello, Beacon Chief Financial Officer. “Together our Patient Accounts Department at Elkhart General and Memorial manages nearly $275 million in patient receivables and are the last encounter patients or their family has with the hospital. We work collaboratively with insurance companies and patients in an effort to keep them happy with the great service we provide.”