Commencing January 1, 2021, each hospital operating in the United States will be required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide as a requirement of new laws on hospital price transparency. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospital price transparency ruling should help Americans know the cost of a hospital item or service before receiving it in two ways:
• As a comprehensive machine-readable file with all items and services: MachineCode
• In a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format
To remain in compliance for Self Funded Groups, Wellmark Insurance requires Keokuk County Hospital to include the following link that provides Machine Readable Files (MRFs).
Wellmark MRF
This information should make it easier for consumers to shop and compare prices across hospitals and estimate the cost of care before going to the hospital. Below are links relating to the new rule and how we developed our site to comply with new rules:
• https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-11-27/pdf/2019-24931.pdf
• https://www.cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency
Disclaimers:
As with anything provided in writing, Keokuk County Hospital, as an organization, is disclosing the following:
This estimate is based on averages charges for this procedure without complications. Your charges may vary based on your situation, the amount of time the procedure takes and the care specified in your doctor orders for you based on your medical needs. You also may receive bills from other medical specialty services that you may use during your visit with us including physician, anesthesiology charges, radiologist reading fees, and pathologist fees. These charges may be separately billed through their respective organization.
The estimate is not a quote or guarantee of the charges for a service or the amount that you owe. Your insurance and policy coverage will ultimately dictate what your costs will be, which would include deductibles, co-pay, co-insurance, and out of pocket maximums. This information can be obtained directly from your insurance company and it is recommended that you do, in fact, contact them to make sure you are aware of what your insurance will and will not cover.
In order to proceed with obtaining a cost of a shoppable service, please select your health insurance company’s name from below:
• Aetna-Commercial
• Aetna-Medicare
• Cash/Self-Pay (No Insurance), Minimum and Maximum
• Humana
• Medica
• Midlands Choice
• United Health Care
• United Health Care (Medicare Advantage)
• Wellmark
Keokuk County Hospital & Clinics has an existing agreement with the insurance companies listed above. If you do not see your insurance in the list it could be that they negotiate what they will pay upon billing of services or through a re-pricing agency.
If you have questions or are in need of financial assistance with your bill or future needs, please call the Keokuk County Hospital at (641) 622-2720 and ask for a Financial Counselor.