Billing and Payment: Frequently Asked Questions
- Why have I received two bills? What is included on each bill?
- I was sent two bills for my medical services. How do I tell them apart? Who do I contact if I have questions about either bill?
- When can I expect to receive a bill? Why was I sent a statement when my insurance company is supposed to pay my bill?
- There is an erroneous charge on my bill. I did not receive this service. How can I have this charge removed?
- Where can I pay my bill in person? Can I pay my bill in cash?
- How do I pay my bill?
- Will I be required to pay anything when I arrive at the hospital?
- The doctor, nurse, or business representative told me that the charge(s) for my services would be a certain amount and I am being billed a different amount. Why?
- I saw a doctor or had tests done at the University of Chicago but did not stay overnight in the hospital. What is included on my bill(s)?
- Why are you asking for my deductible, co-insurance or co-payment at the time of my visit?
Q. Why have I received two bills? What is included on each bill?
A. During the course of your visit to the University of Chicago Hospitals you may receive a variety of inpatient or outpatient services and treatment.
You may receive two bills for each of these services or encounters. These are not duplicate bills.
One bill will be for services provided by the University of Chicago Hospitals, the other for services provided by the physician(s) involved with your care.
For inpatient care, most physician fees are billed by the University of Chicago Physicians Group. These may include physician fees not only from your primary physician, but also from consulting physicians, anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, and others who performed services for you. The University of Chicago Hospitals bill will include charges for the hospital room, nursing care, meals, supplies, medications, and other miscellaneous items. The Hospitals bill also will include technical charges for X-rays and lab tests while the Physicians Group bill may include physician fees for interpreting those same tests.
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Q. I was sent two bills for my medical services. How do I tell them apart? Who do I contact if I have questions about either bill?
A. University of Chicago Physicians Group bills are blue and white. The University of Chicago Physicians Group handles all inquiries related to physician charges. For questions about your physician bill, call (773) 702-1150.
You may also send an e-mail message to: ucpgpi@delphi.bsd.uchicago.edu
Address correspondence to:
University of Chicago Physicians Group
75 Remittance Drive, Suite 1385
Chicago, IL 60675-1385
(All correspondence should include the patient’s name, medical history number, and/or physician billing number.)
University of Chicago Hospitals bills are red and gray. The University of Chicago Hospitals Billing Office handles all questions related to hospital charges. For questions about your hospital bill, call (773) 702-6664.
Address correspondence to:
University of Chicago Hospitals
Billing Office
1122 Paysphere Circle
Chicago, IL 60674
(All correspondence should include the patient’s name, medical history number, and/or hospital account number.)
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Q. When can I expect to receive a bill? Why was I sent a statement when my insurance company is supposed to pay my bill?
A. For patients with health insurance: once your insurance company has been billed and has responded to us, we determine how much you may owe and bill you. Payment will be due thirty (30) days after a bill is sent to you. If your insurance company does not pay within ninety (90) days of receiving a bill from the University of Chicago, you may receive a statement showing that your insurance company has not paid the bill. Whether you have insurance coverage or not, you as the patient are ultimately responsible to make sure your bill is paid. If you receive a statement showing that your insurance company has not paid, it may be helpful for you to contact your insurance company to ask why payment has not been made.
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Q. There is an erroneous charge on my bill. I did not receive this service. How can I have this charge removed?
A. First you should determine who the bill was sent by and then contact the appropriate office.
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Q. Where can I pay my bill in person? Can I pay my bill in cash?
A. You may pay both your University of Chicago Hospitals and Physicians Group bills in person in the Outpatient Registration Office on the first floor of the Center for Advanced Medicine. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Payment can be made with cash, check, money order, or most credit cards.
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Q. How do I pay my bill?
A. Payment for your portion of the bill (co-insurance, co-payment, deductible, uncovered services, full bill) is due prior to the time services are provided or within 30 days of receiving a bill. Payment can be sent by check, money order, or accepted credit cards. Please do not send cash through the mail. If you choose to pay in cash, please pay in person. Please include the patient’s name, medical history number, and/or hospital account number with your payment.
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Q. Will I be required to pay anything when I arrive at the hospital?
A. You may be required to pay the difference, if any, between your verified insurance benefits and the estimated charges for your stay when you are admitted to the hospital. Your actual charges may be more or less than the estimate. If they are less, you will receive a refund after care is provided. The deposit does not include charges for your physician or any other physician who will be involved in your care. A physician bill will be sent to you directly after you return home.
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Q. The doctor, nurse, or business representative told me that the charge(s) for my services would be a certain amount and I am being billed a different amount. Why?
A. Clinical or business personnel are normally able to provide only an estimate of the cost of services in advance of care. Also, they are not always able to predict what other ancillary or professional services that your doctor may order. We do our best to provide accurate estimates of cost, but the final bill may be different from the original estimate.
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Q. I saw a doctor or had tests done at the University of Chicago but did not stay overnight in the hospital. What is included on my bill(s)?
A. During the course of your visit to the University of Chicago Hospitals you may receive a variety of outpatient services and treatment. You may receive two bills for each of these services or encounters. These are not duplicate bills. One bill will be for services provided by the University of Chicago Hospitals, the other for services provided by the physician(s) involved with your care.
For outpatient care, the University of Chicago Physicians Group bill will include physician fees associated with diagnostic testing and most outpatient procedures. The University of Chicago Hospitals’ bill will include physician fees associated with an outpatient office visit and other non-physician charges related to the visit and the tests and equipment used at the Hospitals.
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Q. Why are you asking for my deductible, co-insurance or co-payment at the time of my visit?
A. We ask that payments are made when you are at the physician office so you won’t be bothered with an invoice sent to your home after your visit. It also helps us reduce our costs and saves you the trouble of mailing a payment back to the University of Chicago Hospitals.
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