Frequently Asked Questions About Billing

To get answers, voice concerns or change your personal information, call 216.445.6249 or 866.621.6385, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. 

Need to change your personal or contact information? Give us a call.

If you have questions about financial assistance before your appointment:

• Ohio and Nevada: Call 855.831.1284, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST
• Florida: Call 954.689.5610, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST

You can also schedule a callback from our team for billing and financial assistance questions. 

Note to attorneys: You can request itemized statements online. For all other inquiries, call 866.621.6385 or 216.445.6249, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Note to insurance companies: For claims follow-ups, appeals, medical records or to request an audit, email insinq@ccf.org or fax 216.636.8094.

For pre-authorization or pre-certification, call 216.636.8773.

For all other inquiries, please call us at 866.621.6385 or 216.445.6249, Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Rather meet in person? No problem. We welcome walk-ins with no appointment needed. You can find us in A Building – Crile Building on our Main Campus. We’re open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We’re closed for lunch each day between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

If you’re receiving cancer treatment, we also offer educational sessions to help you understand your billing statement and explanation of benefits. To reserve your spot, call 216.636.1121.

The time it takes to receive a bill varies depending on your insurance company. Your insurance determines whether you’re financially responsible for a portion of services based on your deductible and coverage. You should receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) from your insurance company, letting you know about submitted claims, how much is covered by insurance and how much you’ll owe. Once your insurance company has processed the information, we’ll bill you.

Nearly all Cleveland Clinic services will be on a single billing statement. But some services bill separately, including some physicians who practice at our community hospitals, along with certain services offered in radiology, anesthesiology and our labs.

If you come here by ambulance or helicopter, you may receive a separate bill from the medical transport company.

To help ensure a smooth billing process, we encourage you to take these steps before your Cleveland Clinic visit:

• Confirm that Cleveland Clinic accepts your insurance or call your insurance company to find out if it has a contract with us.
• Check your insurance plan to find out what’s covered and if your test or treatment requires authorization.
• Confirm your copay and unmet deductible amounts for your visit.
• Be aware of your coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum.
• Update your coordination of benefits with your insurance plan.
• If you don’t have insurance, you can reach out to one of our financial assistance programs.

You can request an itemized statement by calling 866.621.6385, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, scheduling a callback or sending an email.

If you send health information to Cleveland Clinic via email, your message may be sent in an unencrypted email. An unencrypted email means there’s a risk that a third party could potentially read the information in the email and any attachments when it’s sent through the internet.

Cleveland Clinic accepts the following types of payment and doesn’t charge processing fees:

• Check or money order
• All major credit cards
• Electronic checks
• Payroll deduction (Cleveland Clinic employees only)
• Health savings account (HSA)

There are several ways you can pay your bill:

• Online through MyChart 
• In person at any of our check-in desks or with any member of our financial team
• By phone at 216.445.629 or 866.621.6385 with no added fees
• By mail using the detachable portion of your billing statement

We offer zero-interest payment options if you need help with paying your medical bills.

Need help paying online? Call us at 866.621.6385, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST or by scheduling a callback.

If you’re an international patient, please contact Global Patient Services at 216.444.6404 (international code 001). Our team will help you with pre-payment plans and insurance verification. They can also arrange for you to have an interpreter at your appointment if needed.

If you don’t have insurance or are recently unemployed and no longer have coverage, you may qualify for financial assistance. Even if you have insurance, financial assistance may be available under certain circumstances. We’re here to talk with you about our financial assistance programs and how to apply for them. A summary of our financial assistance policy and application can be found on our Financial Assistance page.

You must be a self-pay legal resident of Ohio with an income at or below 400% of the federal income poverty guidelines. We also strongly encourage you to participate in the Medicaid eligibility process.

You can get help, apply for financial assistance or schedule a callback with a patient financial advocate by visiting our Financial Assistance page. Need more support? Get help at 866.621.6385.

If you have insurance, we can’t apply financial assistance to your deductible or out-of-pocket expenses after your claim is finalized and paid.

If we approve your application, you’ll get a letter outlining what level of coverage we’re providing. You can also check your application status by calling 866.621.6385 and following the automated prompts.

The facility and/or treatment room charge is the result of Cleveland Clinic’s physician offices and outpatient clinics being classified as hospital outpatient departments, also called provider-based facilities.

Provider-based billing applies to all patients, regardless of the type of insurance you have. Facility fees also apply to scheduled virtual visits. Virtual visit facility fees support the necessary digital health technology and your provider’s healthcare services, which you would otherwise get in person at an office or other healthcare facility. The way your insurance covers facility and/or treatment room charges is based on whether you have insurance through your employer, another insurance company or if you’re covered by Medicare.

Hospital services cover the use of the room and any medical or technical services, supplies or equipment. The facility and/or treatment room charge will be shown here.

One charge is for professional services by your healthcare provider. The other charge is for the facility, which covers your exam or hospital room, supplies and equipment and non-physician support staff.

The minimum amount due is the minimum amount of the bill you need to pay on your current billing statement. The total patient balance is the total amount you owe.

If an amount is highlighted in yellow, it means that the charge is past due. If it’s highlighted in red, that means this is your final notice for this charge and we may send it to a collection agency if not paid in full by the due date.

Cleveland Clinic works with third‑party collection agencies to help resolve unpaid balances. For each date of service, you’ll receive up to four monthly billing statements for any balance you’re responsible for. If your balance remains unpaid after the fourth statement, it may be sent to collections.

For accepted insurance plans, we’ll provide an estimate for surgeries and diagnostic testing like CT scans and MRI. You’ll get this when you schedule your procedure. You can also request an estimate by calling 855.831.1294 or scheduling a callback.

If you don’t have insurance or we don’t accept your plan, we’ll provide an estimate for all services.

You can also use our self-service estimate tool to get an idea of what you may pay for certain services.

This visual guide can help you understand what your estimate will look like.

Before your Cleveland Clinic visit, you want to confirm the following with your insurance company:

• Does Cleveland Clinic accept my insurance?
• What does my plan cover?
• Do I need authorization for my test or treatment?
• Are my copay amounts different for different types of services?
• How much are my deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket amounts?

Starting June 1, 2025, we’ll collect your copay before or at check-in for appointments for non-emergency outpatient services, including scheduled office visits, diagnostic tests and procedures. Your copay amount depends on your insurance plan. This process doesn’t apply if you have Medicaid or traditional Medicare.

This change isn’t meant to disrupt your care. If you have commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage and can’t pay your copay at the time of your visit, you can set up a 0% interest payment plan. Your appointments won’t be canceled or rescheduled.

This process change doesn’t apply to:

• Emergency care
• Surgeries or inpatient hospital stays
• Cancer treatments
• Urgent or Express Care visits

Copays for these services are expected, but they’re not required at the time you get care.

If you receive a cost estimate before your visit, you may be asked to pay part of that amount when you arrive. You may also be asked to pay any past-due balance or set up a payment plan.

We have included a helpful video on that page to explain how your deductible, coinsurance, copay and out-of-pocket maximum work together.

Please let us know if you also have any secondary or supplemental insurance coverage.

Call us at 216.445.6249 or 1.866.621.385.

If your insurance is out of network, you can schedule an appointment, but you will first need to talk with our billing and financial experts. Our team will help you take the next steps.

When you call to make an appointment in a specific department, we’ll connect you with our billing and finance experts. They’ll explain our self-pay policy and guide you through the steps.

If you pay your balance in full before receiving services, you’ll receive a 35% discount.

I’m traveling to Cleveland Clinic from out of town, and my insurance doesn’t cover travel or accommodations. Are there free or discounted places to stay? 

Find information about discounted lodging, parking and transportation here.

Medicaid is a federal health insurance program accepted by most healthcare facilities. It includes prescription coverage. Financial assistance only applies to services at Cleveland Clinic and doesn’t cover prescription costs.

Sometimes, Medicare won’t cover tests even if your healthcare provider believes they’re medically necessary. When this happens, you’re responsible for paying for these services. Signing the ABN acknowledges that Medicare may not always pay for everything and that you have financial responsibility if it doesn’t.

For more information, please visit medicare.gov or call 1.800.MEDICARE (633-4227).

If they expect you’ll need to stay in the hospital for fewer than two nights, you’ll have outpatient surgery.

Your healthcare providers will keep a close eye on your progress. If they decide you should stay longer, you will.

If you only have Medicare coverage, and no secondary insurance, you may have more out-of-pocket expenses with outpatient surgery. To better understand your benefits and what you may need to pay, you can:

• Call us at 855.831.1284.
• Email us at insurancehelp@ccf.org.
• Schedule a phone appointment with our team.

A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit is a yearly appointment with your primary care provider. It includes a review of your medical and family history, as well as routine measurements like your height, weight and blood pressure. During your AWV, you and your provider will also complete a health risk assessment and develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy. You’ll pay nothing for this visit. The Part B deductible may apply if your provider does additional tests or services during the same visit.

To understand the limitations of a free Medicare AWV, please visit medicare.gov or call 1.800.MEDICARE (633-4227).

Observation status is covered by Part B, and your annual deductible and copay apply. It isn’t considered a hospitalization and doesn’t affect your Medicare Part A benefits. No hospital days are used, and the Part A deductible isn’t required. Medicare doesn’t pay for self-administered drugs while you’re in observation status.

For more information, please visit medicare.gov or call 1.800.MEDICARE (633-4227).

Part B doesn’t cover self-administered drugs, which are prescription and over-the-counter medications you get in an outpatient setting. Also, for safety reasons, many hospitals have policies that don’t allow patients to bring prescription or other drugs from home. You’ll likely need to pay out-of-pocket for these drugs and submit a claim to your prescription insurance plan for reimbursement.

Call your prescription insurance plan provider for more information.

MyCare Ohio is the state’s first integrated care delivery system that coordinates your physical, behavioral and long-term care services if you’re enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. By helping you better coordinate your benefits in both programs, MyCare Ohio hopes to improve the quality of your healthcare and outcomes and contain costs.

For more information or to enroll, call the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 1.800.324.8680 or visit ohiomh.com.

If you want to use Cleveland Clinic for your care, you can select a Medicaid plan that includes Cleveland Clinic through the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800.324.8680. You can also visit ohiomh.com.

From medical bills to health insurance, we’re committed to helping you get the payment support you need. That’s why Cleveland Clinic partners with Centauri Health Solutions, ElevatePFS and Firstsource. These organizations aren’t collection agencies or bill collectors. We work with them to help you get Medicaid if you’re eligible.

Our financial assistance policy requires you to complete and cooperate with our Medicare screening process. So, when one of these partners contacts you, you’ll need to respond to calls, letters or text messages promptly. It’s mandatory to qualify for benefits. If you don’t or can’t fully cooperate, we’ll send you a bill for any services provided.

Our partners can help you find out if you qualify for help. Then, they’ll walk you through enrolling in government or other benefit programs that offer:

• Help with paying for medical expenses
• Help with your bills while you’re on disability
• Resources for transportation, food and housing in your community

You’ll receive this help free of charge. Want to find out if you can get help? Contact the applicable partner below:

• If you live in Ohio or Florida and your last name begins with A-L: Centauri Health Solutions,1.888.860.3537
• If you live in Ohio and your last name begins with M-Z: ElevatePFS, 1.216.238.9565
• If you live in Florida and your last name begins with M-Z: Firstsource, 1.800.431.0004

Depending on your individual situation, you may want to consider a variety of financial resources. Our social workers can help you find organizations, government agencies and other programs that might have the services you need.

To speak with a social worker, call 216.444.6554.