Billing FAQs

Q: When should I expect to receive a bill?

A: Typically, claims are submitted to the insurance carriers daily and processed by the insurance carrier within 30 to 60 days. Once your claim has been processed by the insurance carrier, you'll receive a statement for any charges that you're responsible for. However, if your insurance carrier needs more information or rejects the initial claim, the billing might be delayed for an extra two to four months due to the appeal process.

Q: How will I be notified of my bill?

A: New MyOchsner patients are automatically enrolled into paperless billing. You will be notified of new bills through email and the MyOchsner mobile app. Make sure your email and phone number are up to date, so that you will get the MyOchsner notifications about your bill.

To opt out of paperless billing:

1. Log in to your MyOchsner account
2. From your menu, go to the billing summary page
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen below the account boxes. You will see this statement: “If you would like to receive paper statements, you may cancel paperless billing.”
4. Click/tap “cancel paperless billing” and confirm your selection

For questions or concerns, call Ochsner's Patient Account Customer Service Department Monday - Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Phone: 504-842-4190
• Toll-free: 1-800-343-0269
• To contact us by email: billing@ochsner.org

Q: How do I know if Ochsner Health contracts with my health plan?

A: To receive full insurance benefits, some insurance companies require patients to receive services with "in-network" or "participating provider" hospitals and physicians. Some insurance requires that certain services be authorized or pre-certified before the patient receives them. Call your insurance company to check its requirements and to make sure Ochsner Health is in the network.

Q: What if my insurance company has no contractual agreement with Ochsner Health?

A: If you are a customer of a private insurance company that does not have a contractual agreement with Ochsner Health, you can still receive treatment at Ochsner. However, you will be financially responsible for the total charges and may be asked to make a deposit before receiving medical services at Ochsner. It is your responsibility to know what your insurance will and will not cover.

A: Due to the federal privacy rules, we are only allowed to discuss account information with the guarantor or the patient.

A: To ensure timely processing of your claim, Ochsner Health follows up with your insurance company; however, it is recommended that patients periodically contact their insurance company on the status of the services that have been billed to them. By contacting your insurance company, it will help ensure your claims will be paid promptly and accurately.

A: Ochsner Health tries to send all the necessary information to insurance companies; however, they sometimes need more information from you to process a claim. This may include information about coordination of benefits, student verification, accident or third-party verification, pre-existing condition or primary explanation of benefits (if claim was submitted to a secondary insurance). You should receive an explanation of benefits from your insurance company asking for this information. Please respond to have the claim processed correctly. If the requested information is not submitted to your insurance company in a timely manner, you will be responsible for the outstanding charges and will receive a statement from Ochsner.

A: Certain physicians help with your medical care even though you may not meet them. Commonly, these are the doctors who read your lab results, x-rays and EKGs, among others.

A: Ochsner's Patient Account Customer Service Department hours are Monday - Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have any questions about the service on your Ochsner Health statements or need additional assistance, please contact us at 504-842-4190 or toll-free at 1-800-343-0269.

A: Total payment is expected for the patient's portion of the bill at the time of service or discharge. We accept cash, checks, money orders and all major credit cards. If you are unable to pay the full balance, you may qualify for a monthly payment plan based on an approved schedule. You may contact customer service at 504-842-4190 or toll-free at 1-800-343-0269 to speak with a representative.

A: If you have insurance coverage, your insurance company will send both Ochsner Health and you an explanation of benefits (EOB) that details the amount it has paid, any non-covered or denied amounts, and the remaining balance that you are responsible for paying. You may receive your EOB before Ochsner does. Review your EOB carefully, compare it to your Ochsner Health statement and call your insurance company or Ochsner's Customer Service department if you have any questions or concerns.

A: Statements are issued monthly. You will receive a statement every month until all payments are made, either by the insurance company or the guarantor.

A: Ochsner Health accepts cash, personal checks, debit cards, money orders or credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express). We will charge your credit card only for the amount you authorize.

A: Send your payment along with your statement stub to the billing address on your statement. You can also make payments with the information provided on your statement via quick pay. Please allow 72 hours for payment to be posted to your account when you pay online. For more bill payment options, visit our Pay Your Bill page.

A: You can update your information by sending us an email using this link: billing@ochsner.org. You can also contact our Customer Service department at 504-842-4190 or Toll Free at 1-800-343-0269 and provide the information.

A: We post your payment to the oldest charges or oldest account first.

A: Yes, we normally can bill worker's compensation, but we need the following information: your social security number, the name of your employer, the date of injury, your worker's compensation claim number, and the name and address of the worker's compensation carrier.

A: If the account was overpaid and after a thorough review it was determined that the amount belongs to you, you will receive a refund.

A: Payment is due at or before the time of service. Any remaining balance that you could be responsible for is due by the specified due date on your statement. Payments received after this date will not appear on your next statement and are considered past due.

A: You may receive a statement for physician services and hospital services depending on where the procedure was performed.

A: There are many reasons why claims are not paid or not paid entirely and could be as follows: your insurance may need additional information from you; charges may have been applied to your deductible; you are responsible for co-pays or co-insurance; charges could have been non-covered services; insurance coverage not in effect at time of services; and many more. Your insurance company should have sent you an explanation of benefits (EOB) that explains why the charges were not paid. You will need to contact your insurance company and discuss with them as to why the charges were not paid or rejected.

A: Yes, we'll take care of billing your insurance company. If you didn't provide your insurance details during your visit, we kindly ask you to send an email to billing@ochsner.org. In this email, please include the following details:

1. Your insurance company's name and address
2. Your policy and group numbers
3. The policyholder's name
4. The policyholder's date of birth
5. The policyholder's employer

These details are important for us to ensure accurate billing.

A: If you've supplied us with your secondary insurance details, we will submit a claim on your behalf. However, it's important for you to know that you'll need to send a copy of your primary insurance's Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to your secondary insurer. This step is crucial because your secondary insurer will only begin processing your claim once they receive the EOB. This process ensures all necessary information is exchanged between both your insurance providers, leading to a smoother and more efficient claim resolution.

A: For a comprehensive breakdown of your hospital services, please feel free to contact our Patient Account Customer Services. They are available to assist you and can be reached at 504-842-4190. If you prefer, you can also reach them toll-free at 800-343-0269. This itemization will provide you with detailed information about each service you received during your hospital stay, empowering you to better understand the specifics of your healthcare experience.

A: Yes, Medicare has a comprehensive web site. Click here for more information on Medicare.

A: Medicare does not pay for any procedure it considers routine or preventive. You will be required to pay for these services.

A: An Advanced Beneficiary Notice, also known as an ABN, is a document that your physicians, providers or suppliers may present to you before they provide a specific service or item. This notice serves several purposes:

1. It informs you that Medicare is likely to reject the payment for the particular service or item in your situation.
2. It provides the reasoning as to why your physician, provider or supplier anticipates that Medicare will deny the payment.
3. It notifies you that should Medicare reject the payment, you will be personally accountable for settling the full payment.

Additionally, an ABN gives you the choice to decline the service or item if you do not agree with these terms. This approach ensures that you are well-informed about your potential financial obligations and can make decisions accordingly.

A: When you make a single visit to your physician, you might notice two separate charges on your bill. The first charge covers the routine or preventive aspect of your visit; this could include regular check-ups or preventive screenings. The second charge is for addressing any specific health issues or problems you may have, which requires additional time and resources from your physician. This is known as the problem-oriented component. By understanding these charges, you can better manage your healthcare expenses and expectations.

A:  If you don't have health insurance, we ask you to provide an upfront payment, which is an estimate of the cost for your scheduled medical services. This system ensures that all financial responsibilities are taken care of in advance. However, if there's a need for more tests, further discussions with your physician, or extended hospital stays, we might need to ask for additional payments. Should your initial deposit exceed the cost of the current service and result in extra funds, we will first apply this amount to any outstanding balances. If there's still a surplus after this, we will ensure that this money is returned to you promptly.

To make things simple and transparent, you can reach our central pricing office at either 504-703-2773 or 855-241-9351. Our team will be more than happy to provide you with a quote for the services you need, ensuring you're fully informed every step of the way.

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