Insurance

If you are covered by health insurance, please bring your insurance card with you at time of your visit. Your insurance card is needed for the hospital to file a claim with your insurance company or companies. When you register, we will ask for information about your insurance coverage and have you sign a few forms. This registration process goes much faster when you bring your insurance information with you.

Hospital admissions

Upon admission, if you have medical insurance, you may be asked to pay a deductible or copay depending upon your insurance plan. If you do not have healthcare coverage, you will be asked to pay in full amount of your estimated charges at the time of service. If you cannot afford to make the payment in full, you will be asked to speak with one of our Financial Counselors to establish payment arrangements.

Let your insurance company know you'll be in the hospital

• Insurance coverage varies between plans and employer groups.
• Please refer to your insurance plan's member handbook or call your insurance company with questions.
• It is best if you contact your insurance to discuss any pre-certification requirements prior to arrival.
• If your insurance requires pre-admission certification, one of our insurance specialists will be able to assist you in obtaining the authorization.
• We encourage you to call us to have your insurance benefits evaluated. We will contact your insurance company for you to determine your individual coverage for upcoming services.
• Most health insurance companies, as well as Medicare, pay UF Health directly. Any portion of your hospitalization or care not covered by insurance may be your responsibility.
• In many instances your insurance company will require regular information updates on your progress and condition to determine approval for a continued stay at the hospital. We have specially trained staff who will review your chart in order to provide information to your insurance carrier.

Billing your insurance

• UF Health is responsible for submitting bills to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim.
• It is your responsibility to provide any requested information to your insurance company (accident information, claim forms). If information is not supplied to your insurance company, the charges for services may be billed to you directly.
• You should remember that your policy is a contract between you and your insurance company and that you have the final responsibility for payment of your med bill.
• After your insurance receives and processes your claim you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company explaining how your claim was handled. The EOB will show amount of payment, patient responsibility and/or denials.
• If there is patient responsibility due, we will send you a statement. You are required to pay this bill in full or will need to contact the UF Health Customer Service at (352)265-7906 or Toll Free at: (888) 766-8154
  

Following up with insurance company

• Before you call, have available your insurance card, date of service, facility name, original billed amount, patient name and claim number if applicable.
• Obtain satisfactory status of account. If paid, ask when and to whom. Note this information and with whom you spoke to at the insurance company.
• If the bill has not been paid, find out when the anticipated payment date is and ask if they need anything from you.
• If the bill is not paid in the stated timeframe, follow-up with the insurance company again and, if necessary, request to speak to a supervisor.

Payment Disputes

• If you disagree with the insurance company's payment amount, contact the insurance company and ask them to review how the claim was processed.
• If the insurance company finds that an error was made, note the information and whom you talked to at the insurance company. Request an anticipated payment date and ask if they need anything from you.
• If the insurance company feels the bill was paid correctly and you still disagree, find out from the insurance company what you need to do to file an "appeal" with them. Filing an appeal will not guarantee that the insurance company will pay more on your bill, but the claim will be reviewed for reconsideration.

Coordination of benefits (COB)

Coordination of Benefits, referred to as COB, is a term used by insurance companies when you are covered under two or more insurance policies. This usually happens when both husband and wife are listed on each other’s insurance policies, or when both parents carry their children on their individual policies, or when there is eligibility under two federal programs. This also can occur when you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and have medical insurance and automobile insurance. Most insurance companies have COB provisions that determine who is the primary payer when medical expenses are incurred. This prevents duplicate payments. COB priority must be identified at admission to comply with insurance guidelines. Your insurance may request a completed COB form before paying a claim and every attempt will be made to notify you if this occurs. The hospital cannot provide this information to your insurance company. You must resolve this issue with your insurance carrier for the claim to be paid.

Commercial insurance

As a service to our patients, we will forward a claim to your commercial insurance carrier based on the information you provide at the time of registration. It is very important for you to provide all related information such as policy number, group number and the correct mailing address for your insurance company in a timely manner. You may be held responsible for unpaid claims due to incorrect or missing insurance information.

Uninsured

• UF Health is a state and federally funded hospital. UF Health does provide an assistance program for those that qualify.
• If you do not have health insurance coverage, you may be eligible for insurance through the Health Insurance Exchanges or Florida Medicaid. We also encourage you to apply for financial assistance or you may contact our UF Health Customer Service department at (352) 265-7906 or Toll Free at: (888)766-8154 to make payment in full or set up payment arrangements.

UF Health Psychiatric Hospital insurance

Because insurance companies have many variations to the plans they offer, we will assist you by calling your provider to check your specific benefits.

If your insurance company does not cover all of your treatment costs or if you are self-paying for treatment, please contact a financial counselor at 352.265.5445 or 352.265.5461 Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30am – 5:30pm, to determine the agreed upon payment amount that is due upon admission. Incomplete or delayed financial arrangements can postpone actual admission. It is important to bring your insurance identification card, a claim form and your driver’s license with you to avoid any delay in your admission to UF Health Psychiatric Hospital.