Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Forsyth Medical Center is now providing a free service to patients to help them understand and estimate their insurance-covered and out-of-pocket expenses for all imaging and surgical procedures before they receive treatment. The service is part of a new financial navigator program to help patients know the costs they will be responsible for and to identify payment options and other financial assistance should it be appropriate.
“Preoperative checklists help patients know what to expect before they undergo a surgical procedure,” says Amy Homburger, assistant director of Novant Health’s customer service contact center. “Our financial navigators help make sure patients have all the information they need upfront so they can focus on their health and not worry about how much their hospital stay will cost.”
Homburger says that this program is also part of Novant Health’s commitment to make receiving healthcare easier for patients to understand.
“In addition to checking quality of facilities by comparing quality scores, this service is a way patients can also compare cost for specific procedures among facilities,” she says. “While cost may not be the primary factor in deciding which facility a patient may choose, we feel it is important for patients to understand that costs, what they may be responsible for paying and payment options, may differ among facilities.”
In addition to being available at Forsyth Medical Center, the service also is available at several other Novant Health Triad facilities including Medical Park Hospital, Kernersville Medical Center and Thomasville Medical Center.
Patients can call the financial navigator hotline at 336-277-7299 (toll-free at 1-888-277-3901) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., to discuss the financial aspects of their upcoming procedures. The navigators will ask about insurance availability and provide a personalized estimate within one business day. They are also available to discuss payment options with patients, as needed. Voicemail is available for after-hours or weekend calls.
