Patient Billing Information

We understand that hospital and healthcare billing can be confusing, our goal is to be available and assist in making paying for your hospital care as simple and manageable as possible.

This area will provide information on our billing process, insurance policy general information and the financial planning and assistance programs that are available to our patients.

Medical bills contain many different codes and descriptions that contain specific medical language because the medical billing systems are set up mainly to facilitate payments from private insurance companies and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. These programs require bills from hospitals be submitted using specific diagnosis, treatment and supply codes or the bill will not be rejected and not paid. This does benefit patients by making the claims quicker and easier to process, however, it can make it difficult for the consumer to understand.

We are here to help you understand your billing and the process by including information on our website, but we are also available by phone or on site to review your account. Contact our Corporate Business Office at (919) 900-8299 to speak to one of our billing specialists.

  • If you have provided the hospital with your insurance information, we will prepare a claim and send it directly to your insurance carrier. To help expedite and ensure the claim is processed, please be sure to provide any requested information to your insurance carrier.
  • After payment has been received from your insurance carrier, we will send you a statement showing how much they paid on your behalf and any out-of-pocket expenses you are responsible for that your insurance does not cover.
  • Statements will be sent our approximately every 4-6 weeks apart until your account is settled and will contain the balance from the hospital and any physician services. If you are unable to pay the balance in full, see information below and contact our Corporate Billing Office to discuss payment arrangements at (919) 900-8299
  • If your account balance remains unpaid after two statement cycles and a payment arrangement has not been established, a final letter requesting payment will be sent and your account may be at risk of being sent to a third party collection agency.
  • If you do not have insurance, you will receive the same statement cycle as defined above. If you are unable to pay your balance in full, see the information below on financial assistance including payment arrangements and financing options.

Landmark will bill these claims directly to the appropriate insurance company on the individual’s behalf. Payments will be made directly to the hospital. It is very important that individuals report these claims to the employer/auto insurance agency so that a claim number is assigned.

At the time of hospital registration, we require the name of the employer’s workers compensation insurance carrier or the auto insurance carrier. If this information is not available upon admission, it is very important that you or a representative contacts our Business Office to provide us with the name and address of the insurance carrier along with the claim and policy number. This will insure proper billing of the claim on the patient’s behalf. In accordance with workers compensation regulations, failure to provide this information within 10 days following the service will result in the patient/guarantor becoming responsible for all charges. If you have retained an attorney regarding a liability case, please contact the Business Office and provide this information. Often liability cases may take a significant amount of time to resolve and this can assist with avoiding the bill from further collection efforts.

If you are covered by Medicare, we will file your claim for you. If you have a Medicare supplemental policy, upon our receipt of payment from Medicare, we will bill your supplemental carrier as well.

We work with several organizations that can assist you with qualifying for Medicaid benefits or local county assistance programs. Contact the Corporate Business Office where we have staff available to assist with the application and answer any questions.

If you are currently covered by Medicaid, upon verification of your eligibility, we will submit your claim. If you Medicaid eligibility is pending, once eligibility is determined, please contact us at (919) 900-8299 with your Medicaid provider and identification numbers.

If you are covered by commercial insurance, a managed care plan or other third party insurance, we will file your claims for you as a courtesy. You are responsible for any out-of-pocket deductible or co-payment amounts.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Health plans and/or patients pay the hospital; however, the total amount is significantly less than the hospital charges. Your insurance provider may be the best resource to provide you with your financial obligation based on your specific health plan information. Generally, a patient with health insurance will pay a deducible, copayment, and/or coinsurance, as set by their health plan. Health insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, commercial health plans, and worker’s compensation, do not pay charges. Instead, they pay a set price negotiated in advance. The patient then pays the out of pocket amount set by the health plan.

Deductible: Amount the patient must pay for services before the health plan begins to pay. The deductible may not apply to all services.

Copayment: Fixed amount, (i.e. $20.00), the patient pays for covered health care services, like an office visit or prescription.

Coinsurance: Percentage the patient pays for covered health services (i.e. 20% of the total bill after insurance processes).

Similar to your visits to your physician’s office, we expect payment at time of service. If you have insurance or other coverage, we will expect you to pay your copayment, coinsurance and/or deductible upon arrival at the hospital.

We will submit your claim for medical insurance to your insurance for you. After your insurance company processes your claim we will send you a patient statement with information about any amount you may still owe.

If you are uninsured, we expect payment at time of service (or will work with you to arrange monthly payments) for the estimated price of your services. If, after your services are received, any additional payment is due, we will send you information about any amount you may still owe. If you receive care and cannot pay for your services, with your cooperation, our financial counselors will evaluate whether you qualify for Medicaid or our Patient Financial Assistance Program – see below for more information.

Financial Assistance

We understand that not all patients have insurance or the same financial circumstances. We have a variety of payment options and specialists who can work with you one-on-one to understand your bill, your insurance coverage and assistance for which you may qualify.

After reviewing a patient’s ability to pay, if it is determined the patient/guarantor family income and assets are within 200% of the established Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG), charity care may be provided. For uninsured or underinsured patients who have income and assets greater than 200% of the FPG, financial assistance may be provided based on the patient completing the Landmark Financial Form and providing the required supporting documentation to demonstrate need. To make certain that appropriate resources are offered to patients, Landmark considers each request individually which may include review of federal tax returns, current pay stub verification and/or a denial of third party benefits as applicable. Financial assistance policies and forms are available from the Corporate Business Office upon request or by clicking on the links below:

Landmark Hospitals Charity Care Policy

Landmark Financial Assistance Application

Please mail the completed financial assistance application along with all of the requested supplemental documents to the following address:

Landmark Management Services
240 S. Mt. Auburn Road
Cape Girardeau, MO 63703-4918

When receiving care at any Landmark Hospital, patients will receive separate bills from physicians and other allied providers (nurse practitioners, physician assistants, etc.) who provide services during the patient’s hospitalization that are contacted and independent from the hospital. Examples include radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, surgeons and consulting physicians and providers. Billing and collection policies for these contracted providers are at their discretion and not the hospital.

Healthcare practitioners who provide services in the hospital may or may not participate with the same health insurers or health maintenance organizations (HMO) as the hospital. It is encouraged that patients contact their practitioner and/or insurance company to determine if the provider of healthcare services participates in their plan and to ask for information about additional out-of-pocket expenses.

Below are links to the list of contracted physician groups and providers for each Landmark Hospital which bill for their services separately from the hospital visit:

Landmark Hospital of Athens, Georgia
Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Landmark Hospital of Columbia, Missouri
Landmark Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbia, Missouri
Landmark Hospital of Joplin, Missouri
Landmark Hospital of Southwest Florida
Landmark Hospital of Savannah, Georgia

In order to assist patients in making an informed decision about their care, Landmark will provide an estimate for scheduled, elective tests or procedures whenever possible. This estimate will include the average charge for the procedure based on data for the same service previously provided by the hospital. Please provide any procedure code(s) for the anticipated service that your physician has provided to assist with the estimate.

It is important to remember that while the list of charges for a service or item is the same for all patients, a total estimate of charges for an individual patient often vary from one patient to another for a variety of reasons including but not limited to:

  • How long it takes to perform the service or how long it takes you to recover in the hospital
  • Whether the service or procedure you receive is more or less difficult than expected
  • What kinds of medications and additional individualized supplies you require
  • Whether you experience complications and need additional treatment
  • Other health conditions you may have that may affect your care

In addition, the estimate provided will not include the professional services as described above.

It is very difficult to give an exact amount for anticipated services before a person visits the hospital because the treatment a patient receives will be based on their specific healthcare needs, however, we will make every effort to provide clear estimates for our patients at your request. Please contact the Business Office at (919) 900-8299 and our team will be happy to provide you with an estimated pricing quote and answer any additional billing questions.

We strongly recommend that you also consult with your insurance provider to understand you insurance coverage, which charges will be covered, how much you will be billed, information on deductibles and your expected out-of-pocket responsibility.

For additional information on price transparency and comparative hospital pricing information, click on the link below:

Price Transparency

Providing Exceptional Critical Care