Overview
After your visit at Cleveland Clinic, the charges for services received are generated on a claim form and sent to your insurance. Your insurance then tells Cleveland Clinic if you are responsible for a portion of the provided services.
Your insurance will usually identify any patient responsibility by checking the following items in your benefits plan:
- Deductible: The amount a patient owes for covered healthcare services before their insurance company begins to share the costs.
- Coinsurance: The amount a patient must pay for covered healthcare services after they have satisfied the deductible required by their health insurance plan.
To limit confusion, you will receive a billing statement only after your services are processed by your insurance company for each date of service.
What will my bill look like?
The visual guide below will help you to understand what you should expect to see on your patient statement:
What else do I need to know?
There are a few things to remember about your billing statement.
- You will receive one statement per month.
- Charges that are past due on your billing statement will appear in yellow or red shading. Always remember to review the minimum amount due each month on the first page.
- If you are having trouble paying your bill, Cleveland Clinic Customer Service can assist patients with zero interest payment options, and our financial assistance process. For more information, call 216.445.6249 or toll free at 866.621.6385.
Frequently Asked Questions
These Frequently Asked Questions will help you understand your new statement.
How can I make a payment?
Payments can be made online through MyAccount Online Bill Pay, by mail, or by calling 866.621.6385 to pay by phone.
Why is my Minimum Amount Due different than my Total Patient Balance?
The Total Patient Balance is your overall balance owed. Minimum Balance due is the minimum amount you must pay with this statement and includes your payment plan amount and any amount not on a payment plan.
What if I cannot pay my entire balance?
We offer several payment options for you to pay your bill. Please call Billing Customer Service at 866.621.6385 to set up payment arrangements.
Why do some of my services not appear on my statement?
In most cases when a charge is being considered by your insurance company, the charge will not appear on the statement until the insurance company tells us you have an amount due.
How long does it generally take for my charges to appear on the statement?
Charges will appear on your statement after we receive notice from your insurance company that you have a balance due.
Why do I have a balance due for my services?
Your insurance carrier may not provide 100% coverage of your services. Refer to your insurance explanation of benefits for details.
Why do I receive bills for old dates of service?
At times, there may be a delay in charges being submitted for billing and added to your account; or your insurance carrier may be delayed in processing your claim. We do not send you a bill until your insurance company processes your claim.
Why do the colors of the boxes change to yellow and red on my statement?
If an amount is highlighted in yellow, it means that the charge is past due. If it is highlighted in red that means this is your final notice for this charge and it may be sent to a collection agency if not paid in full by the due date.
What are the reference numbers on my statement?
The reference numbers are numbers that we use to identify a particular charge within our billing systems. They can be located above the procedures performed that are listed on your statement.
Can I have payments automatically deducted from my bank account to pay my balance?
At this time we don’t offer automatic payments. We do accept electronic payments from your financial institution.
What is a facility fee/treatment room charge?
A facility fee/treatment room charge is how we display the charge for Provider-Based Billing (PBB). This means the facility functions as an extension of its respective hospital. When you receive medical care at Cleveland Clinic, a portion of the total cost for that service is separately billed to your insurance as a hospital charge. Eligibility for “provider-based” status is determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The facility fee 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.”
What is the account number on my statement?
The account number, in the upper right hand corner of your statement, starting with an “E” is a unique identifier in our systems and allows us to pull all of your accounts together, regardless of location where the services were provided.
Why do I receive more than one billing statement from Cleveland Clinic?
Nearly all of the Cleveland Clinic sites are on a single statement. However, there are a few services that continue to bill separately: for example, some radiology, anesthesiology, laboratory, and dental locations. In addition, physicians who practice at our community hospitals may be private practitioners and may send you a separate bill for their services.
How can I find more information about avoiding surprises in my medical bills?
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) consumer guide will help you understand the questions you should ask to avoid receiving an unexpected medical bill.
