Self-Pay Billing Practices

Shore Memorial Hospital provides a full-range of healthcare services to our community regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. The hospital's Patient Accounting Department (Business Center, Billing Office, Credit and Collections Office) strives to treat our patients with dignity and respect.

We recognize that a critical part of providing healthcare services to our patients includes mitigating concerns our patients may have related to billing matters. This business philosophy is our commitment to the community, patients and family members we serve on a daily basis.  This commitment runs parallel to our not for profit mission and is evidenced by the following proactive measures taken by Shore Memorial to provide financial assistance to our patients:

Shore Memorial Hospital endorses both the American Hospital Association and the New Jersey Hospital Association fair billing and collection guidelines.

For more information visit these websites, call or write:

www.aha.org

Or

www.njha.com

New Jersey Hospital Association
760 Alexander Road PO Box 1
Princeton, NJ 08543-0001
Phone; 609-275-4000

Effective May 1, 2004, Shore Memorial Hospital instituted a new self-pay discounting policy to assist patients who are least able to pay. The policy is designed to provide financial relief to our self-pay population by reducing the hospital’s standard charge for services rendered at the time of billing the patient to an estimated cost for services. In fiscal years 2004 and 2005 the hospital provided financial relief under this policy to self-pay patients in the form of billing discounts that equaled ($6.6MM) and ($8.4MM) respectively.

The hospital also ensures that all patients receive information pertaining to the State Charity Care program for the uninsured/underinsured. In addition to the self-pay discounts provided in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, the hospital also adjusted bills for patients determined to be eligible for this program in the amounts of ($7.2MM) and ($9.6MM) respectively.

To inquire about Shore Memorial Hospital's Self-Pay Billing and Discount Policy, Charity Care, or payment arrangements contact the Patient Accounting Department's Credit and Collection Office at 609-653-3804, or 609-653-3793.

The State of New Jersey provides a telephone number to the general public for questions related to the New Jersey Department of Health, Health Care For The Uninsured Program.

Call 1-800-367-6543 or write:

New Jersey State Department of Health
HEATLHCARE FOR THE UNINSURED PROGRAM
CN 360,
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

The hospital also offers financial counseling and screening to patients to ensure that any other potential third party coverage under other government programs such as Medicaid can be identified. We provided this eligibility determination service at no cost to the patient.

The hospital approves payment arrangements for our patients who cannot pay their bills in full. These payment arrangements can be tailored to the individual financial needs of the patient and we do not charge additional fees in the form of interest for carrying the balances being paid under arrangements.

The hospital absorbs a significant amount of bad debt annually (Balances due by patients that are intentionally not paid, or are incurred as a result of mitigating circumstances, bankruptcy filings, and or other collection matters).  In fiscal years 2004 and 2005 Shore Memorial Hospital had net bad debt experience of ($11 MM) and ($10MM) respectively. It should be noted that bad debts decreased as a direct result of aggressively providing self-pay discounting and increasing charity care eligibility.

The hospital pursues collection of balances rightfully owed by patients for services rendered and contracts with third party collection agencies for the purpose of collecting delinquent account balances. The collection agencies operate under the federal fair debt credit and collection guidelines. 

Collection agency activity is closely monitored by the hospital to ensure that patient collection efforts are appropriate and in line with our customer service philosophy.

All patient complaints regarding dissatisfaction with services rendered or billing issues are handled promptly and in a courteous manner to ensure that customer service remains the focus of any patient concern. All complaints are considered valid and patient feed back is welcome with respect to disputed matters.

Call the Patient Accounting Department's Insurance Billing Office
at 609-653-3717.