2005 Press Releases
Hospital offers 50% discount on outstanding bills in September To assist patients who are having a difficult time paying their outstanding hospital bills, Rome Memorial Hospital is offering a 50% discount on accounts that are paid in full in September, announced Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Mayhew. “At Rome Memorial Hospital, we understand that the cost of healthcare can be a burden upon our patients, especially those who do not have insurance,” Mayhew said. “Because we are a safety net for the uninsured, we provide several programs to assist people with their bills including extended payment plans and financial assistance to eligible patients and discounts for the uninsured, as part of our not-for-profit mission.” “Although the recent DFAS announcement is good news for our community, we know that job losses at places like Oneida Limited and Rome Cable created a challenge for people who found themselves without health insurance,” Mayhew said. “We’ve implemented this special discount program for the month of September in recognition of our community’s needs. In Oneida County, there are an estimated 40,000 residents who are either underinsured or uninsured.” The 50% discount can be applied to outstanding balances that have not previously been discounted by other programs if the account is paid in full in September for services provided before Sept. 1. Insured patients can take advantage of the discount to reduce their portion of the bill that was not covered by their insurance plan. This includes services not covered by insurance or for outstanding co-insurance or cost-share amounts. Because of insurance regulations, the discount cannot be applied to reduce co-payments and deductibles. Professional fees charged by physicians are separate from the hospital and are not eligible for the hospital’s discount program. Payments may be sent to: Rome Memorial Hospital, ATTN: Cashier, 1500 N. James St., Rome, NY 13440. Questions may be directed to one of the hospital’s patient account representatives by calling 338-7073 or 338-7071 or e-mailing info@romehospital.org. Most accounts that have been submitted for collection are also eligible for the discount. Patients must contact participating collection agencies directly to arrange for payment. A hospital patient account representative will assist patients with contact information if necessary. “When people are having difficulties paying their bills, the most important thing for them to do is to contact the Business Office to explore their options,” said Mary Deutschman, director of the Business Office and Medical Records. “We don’t like to send accounts to collection agencies. We’d much rather work directly with our patients to develop an appropriate solution.” In 2004, the hospital provided $3.2 million in free health care services to those who could not afford to pay, compared to $2.9 million in 2003. “By making healthcare more affordable with the discount program, the hospital expects to reduce some of its bad debt accounts,” Mayhew said. “Insurance companies routinely negotiate lower rates on healthcare services because of their buying power. Although, we offer discounts to the uninsured, the September program goes one step further to help those who are most in need.” | 