Important information about paying for hospital care
WVU Hospitals is committed to providing quality care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. In emergencies, treatment will not be delayed because of financial or insurance issues.
We have established financial policies to assure that every patient has access to our services – and also to assure that we can maintain a strong financial base and maintain these services for everyone.
We will bill your health insurance if you are insured. If requested, we will explain what your insurance is expected to pay and what you may be responsible to pay.
Financial Counselors are available to speak with you regarding payment arrangements if you do not have health insurance. In addition, WVU Hospitals offers financial assistance to patients who do not qualify for any state or federal programs. Our staff will assist you in applying for these programs.
Details of our hospital financial policies are below. Please call WVUH Patient Financial Services at 800-516-5548 if you have any questions about your bills.
Financial Requirements for Admissions
West Virginia University Hospitals and its medical staff will provide any person who comes to the hospital and requests examination of or treatment for an emergency medical condition with an appropriate medical screening examination and, if the person has an emergency medical condition, will treat the person, within WVUH's capabilities, without regard to the person's ability to pay. WVUH will not delay the medical screening or stabilization of the person to inquire about insurance or ability to pay or to seek prior authorization.
WVUH will admit any person with an emergency medical condition, without regard to the person’s ability to pay, upon referral by a member of the WVUH medical staff. WVUH will admit a person without an emergency medical condition upon referral by a member of the WVUH medical staff and with regard to the availability of sponsorship. WVUH will not discriminate among patients being considered for admission based upon their types of sponsorship.
Financial Policy
West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc is a not-for profit teaching hospital committed to providing quality health care services. In order to provide necessary medical services to our community and continue to support our teaching mission, WVUH must maintain a strong financial foundation that includes the timely collection of all Accounts Receivable. This policy establishes WVUH’s financial requirements for payment of services based on consistent compliance criteria incorporating individual patient financial conditions and circumstances. This policy will ensure the appropriate resolution of patient financial obligations to WVUH while maintaining optimal customer satisfaction. As a non-profit, teaching center, WVUH is committed to providing medically necessary services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Medical Necessity may be determined by certain payors resulting in patient responsibility for account balances.
POLICY
Non-emergency Scheduled Patients: Patients are expected to resolve their identified financial obligations to WVUH prior to their scheduled date and time of service. WVUH expects credit card or auto check draft pre-payments 48 hours prior to the scheduled date of service. If the patient does not resolve the account(s) as defined within the financial policy guidelines, the service request may be clinically reviewed for delay, rescheduling or cancellation as appropriate.
Non- emergency Unscheduled Patients: Patients are expected to resolve their identified financial obligations to WVUH at the earliest opportunity at the time of service but no later than the time of discharge. If the patient does not resolve the account(s) as defined within the financial policy guidelines, the service request may be clinically reviewed for delay, rescheduling or cancellation as appropriate.
Patients Seeking Emergency Care and Urgent Patients: WVUH will provide emergency services regardless of the patient’s ability to pay for those services consistent with our organizational mission and in compliance with applicable Federal and State regulations. Only after the medical screening examination has been completed and the patient has been stabilized, will WVUH initiate calls to third party payers to verify insurance coverage’s and for notification of the patient’s arrival in the emergency department. At no time will emergency treatment be delayed because a physician or insurance company cannot be reached or due do a patient’s inability to pay. Emergency cases completing treatment and having been stabilized will be requested, prior to discharge, to comply with the same financial requirements as non-emergency unscheduled patients. Patients admitted to WVUH to stabilize their condition without meeting financial resolution requirements, will be identified and monitored post stabilization for resolution prior to discharge.
Charity Care Adjustment
West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc is a not-for profit teaching hospital committed to providing medically necessary, high quality healthcare services regardless of our patients ability to pay. The hospital acknowledges that there are patients who do not possess the ability to pay for medically necessary healthcare services and those individuals will be provided charity care as established by this policy. Full charity assistance will be provided to those patients where the household income (defined as income for all individuals existing in the same dwelling) is at or double the federal poverty guidelines as published annually by the Community Services Administration in the Federal Register and where there are not substantial assets. Eligibility determination is made based on completion of the following requirements.
POLICY
A. Patient Eligibility
Recipients of Medicaid (DPW, PMA, MMA, etc.) will be considered for Charity Care for non-covered days.
Bankrupt patients may be considered for Charity Care upon receipt of bankruptcy notice. A Proof of Claim must be filed, except when the bankruptcy notice indicates that there are no assets from which any dividend can be paid.
Patients who meet West Virginia Department of Welfare income and resource guidelines, but who are categorically eligible for Medicaid may be considered medically needy and eligible for Charity Care, provided all appropriate applications were completed.
Patients not otherwise eligible, but who are impoverished as a result of long-term catastrophic illness, may be considered for a Charity Care Adjustment. Long-term catastrophic illness is any illness or injury that will likely require continuous or frequent treatment for more than one year, with the patient being liable for initial care up to 3 times their annual gross income.
Charity Care will be denied to patients who refuse to take reasonable actions necessary to obtain medical assistance available through outside health and welfare agencies, when referred by the Financial Counselors.
Patients will be required to assign or pay, to the Hospital, all insurance payments or liability settlements designated as remuneration for medical expenses. Payments received on an account with a Charity Care Adjustment will be applied to the account and the adjustment reversed up to the amount of the Charity Care Adjustment.
In the event that a Charity Care Adjustment application is not received prior to initiation of legal action against the responsible party, the approved applicant shall be required to pay an amount equal to the expense incurred in initiating such action.
Credit reports will be pulled when it is necessary to substantiate data on file and will be considered in the approval process.
West Virginia University Hospitals reserved the right to amend or reverse the guidelines at any time.