Discharge Planning
Discharge planning begins as soon as you are admitted to the Center. Your attending physicians will regularly discuss your course of treatment and progress during your stay. Your discharge will be confirmed the evening before it is scheduled to occur. Before your discharge, your physician will explain the medications you will take at home and will inform you of follow-up health care appointments. If necessary, home care services or transfer to another facility will be coordinated for you. Information on your treatment and condition will be sent to your referring physician.
If you need an ambulance or other form of transportation when leaving the Medical Center, the unit secretary will make the necessary arrangements. Direct telephone lines for taxis are located in the main lobbies. You are responsible for charges which will be billed separately by private companies.
Prescriptions
After your discharge, prescriptions can be filled at the outpatient pharmacy located on the third floor of the Center, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Billing
If you are covered by health insurance, the Medical Center will submit a claim to the insurance carrier on your behalf (at no charge). This saves you the time and inconvenience of preparing and filing a claim. With certain exceptions, the Medical Center will not bill you directly for charges incurred during hospitalization until after your insurance carrier has paid its share, or as occasionally happens, payment is denied. In addition to the bill from the Medical Center, you may receive separate statements from one or more physician groups within the Medical Center depending on the type of insurance you have and the services you received.
If you are admitted as an observation patient, your bill will be processed as an outpatient visit in accordance with the reimbursement guidelines of your managed care plan.
If you do not have health insurance, the Medical Center will bill you directly. If paying the Medical Center’s bill presents a serious financial hardship, please call a financial counselor at ext. 233, who will try to assist you with the resolution of your bill.
