Hot Springs Radiology Services, LTD. approaches billing and collections with a positive attitude in an effort to assist you, our patients, in paying for professional services. One of the confusing aspects of billing for a hospital-based radiologist, is that if you have had radiology services at a hospital, you will receive two bills -- one from the radiologist (Hot Springs Radiology Services, LTD.), and one from the hospital. But, you are not paying for the same thing twice. Each radiology exam consists of two parts : 1) The hospital provides the technologists, equipment, and the supplies involved and 2) A specially trained physician, a radiologist, directs and supervises the examination and interprets the results. If you have had some types of examinations, you will have met the radiologist. But, even if you have not met him or her in person, the radiologist will have studied your examination and sent a written report to your physician. This report is also kept in your medical record at the hospital. The hospital includes their portion of the radiology exam in the hospital bill. Since the radiologist is not an employee of the hospital, we bill our portion of the radiology services separately.
As a courtesy to you, we will bill your health plan(s) directly for services provided. Hot Springs Radiology Services, LTD. strives to comply with all billing regulations and requirements. If you have any concern regarding your bill, please contact us directly and we will be glad to review your concern. Since we are hospital-based, we rely on the information that you provide to each hospital at the time services are rendered. If you have insurance and receive a statement from us for claims that have not been billed to your insurance, contact us promptly with your insurance information, and we will be happy to submit your claim to your insurance for you.
We also participate with all of the major managed care plans in our service areas. You should reference your health plan's participation list or contact the hospital directly to see if we are listed as participating providers.
While our hospitals make every effort to know the referral and pre-authorization requirements of the insurance plans that they are contracted with, it is our recommendation that you contact your insurance plan when trying to confirm your plan requirements. Please check your insurance identification card for the telephone number to call. Many health plans even require some outpatient radiology procedures to be pre-authorized, such as MRIs and CTs.
We want to hear from you if you have any questions about your bill or insurance claim status. You can make your inquiry by telephone, FAX or e-mail.
Glossary of Billing Terms
Copayment - A type of cost sharing where the insured party is responsible for paying a fixed dollar amount per service.
Coinsurance - The portion of the balance of covered medical expenses which a beneficiary must pay after payment of the deductible.
Deductible - A stipulated amount which the covered person must pay toward the cost of medical treatment before the benefits of the program go into effect.
Professional Component - The part of a relative value or fee that represents the cost of a physicians interpretation of a diagnostic test or treatment planning for a therapeutic procedure.
Non Covered Service - A service not payable under the patient's insurance plan.
Insurance Balance - The patient account balance that is still pending payment by the insurance carrier.
Personal Balance - The balance due after the insurance carrier pays that is now the patient's responsibility.
