Debt Collection Policy

Tanner Health System understands that each patient’s insurance plan varies, and that some patients may not have insurance or the ability to pay for the care they need. 

Cost Transparency 

Tanner’s hospitals provide hospital price transparency in compliance with guidelines of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). While each facility’s Charge master price list is publicly available, the actual cost of a patient’s care may be higher or lower based on factors specific to the patient, such as their length of stay and the complexity of their medical condition.

The amount Tanner hospitals are paid by Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers varies by payer. In many instances, due to the reimbursement structures imposed by payers, what Tanner is ultimately paid is significantly less than the actual cost of care.

Tanner’s price lists do not include physician or other provider fees that are billed separately, such as anesthesiologists, hospitalists, pathologists, radiologists, cardiologists, emergency department physicians and other specialists who participate in a patient’s care.

We also provide patients with or without insurance the estimated cost of scheduled or anticipated services upon request.

Financial Assistance

Tanner provides services to patients without regard for a patient’s ability to pay. We provide financial assistance in many forms: working with patients and families on qualifying for Medicaid and Medicare; providing charity care; and providing self-pay discounts to patients with the ability to pay but with no insurance coverage.

For qualifying patients, the Tanner Patient Financial Assistance Program covers payment for medically necessary care.

Billing, Charging and Collection Policy

Tanner Health System’s policy to govern our billing, charging, conflict/dispute resolution and collections practices is designed to provide for fair and equitable treatment of all patients and ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and requirements.

Patients will not be discriminated against nor given preferential treatment based on race, religion, age, national origin, gender or ability to pay. This policy covers:

• Insurance Acceptance and Billing – We accept insurance assignment in lieu of cash payment at the time of service for up to the verified amount of a patient’s benefits and provide insurance billing services.
• Self-Pay Billing and Collections – Patients are offered a 20% prompt payment point-of-service discount on the self-pay portion of the account, and uninsured self-pay patients receive an initial 60% discount of total charges at the time of their final bill. Purely cosmetic and elective services are available on a cash basis and specified deposits must be received in advance of service.
• Charges – Patients are charged only for services ordered and provided. We do not maintain separate or different chargemasters for insured and uninsured patients, nor for patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state programs. Final bills are based on the agreements negotiated with each payer.
• Charity and Indigent Care – Access to our charity and indigent care programs can be provided to patients at any time during the process, and approval or disapproval of their application is based solely upon their need and demonstrated inability to pay. Levels of charity available are based on income and family size as specified in the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Presumptive financial assistance may also be available in certain situations.
• Conflict and Dispute Resolution – We make every effort to fairly investigate and resolve any and all conflicts with patients and other parties, and to investigate and resolve all requests, complaints and questions in a timely manner.

Before engaging in any extraordinary collection action for payment of a bill, Tanner will take every reasonable effort to determine whether an individual is eligible for our Financial Assistance Program. We also accept payment by a variety of methods for the convenience of our patients.

Even if extraordinary collection actions are ultimately necessary, if the hospital receives a Financial Assistance Program application at any time within 240 days after the first billing statement, it will suspend those actions until the application has been processed.

If the patient is then deemed Financial Assistance Program eligible, the hospital will reverse the extraordinary collection actions and promptly refund any overpaid amounts to the patient.

We are pleased to share the Tanner Health System policy governing debt collection.