Many Bills, Same Hospital Stay

HCA Midwest Health - August 29, 2017

2 min Read Time

Why send so many different bills for the same hospital stay?

HCA Midwest Health hospitals send one itemized bill out for all the hospital services provided during your stay. So why do you receive several other bills? Because not all the people who cared for you or services you received were provided directly by the hospital.

Most physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists and pathologists who care for patients at a hospital are not employees of the hospital. They have their own practices and provide services to patients in the hospital. They then bill for these services themselves directly to patients (or the patient’s insurance company).

On Your Hospital Bill

The bill that comes from the hospital itself covers things that the hospital directly provides, such as:

Any operating rooms or testing facilities or equipment used
Nursing services
Procedures, tests, medications and IVs
Nutrition and food services
Supplies like bedding, hospital gowns, catheters and bandages
Services ranging from environmental services to medical waste removal

NOT On Your Hospital Bill

Typically any physician who provided care when you were in the hospital but has a private practice will bill you separately for the services provided. This often includes:

Family physicians or internists
Specialty physicians (e.g., anesthesiologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, pathologists, radiologists)
Surgeons

Billing Questions

Each hospital in the HCA Midwest Health system provides an online portal for patients to access billing information 24/7 as well as to make payments online. While we can’t provide details on the bills from another provider, we’ll do our best to connect you to the appropriate physician’s office to better assist you. Help is available by phone and email as well. See the information printed on your hospital bill or visit an HCA Midwest Health hospital website for more information.