Understanding Hospital Charges
Recently, the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has required all hospitals to publish a list of their charges also known as the hospital Charge Master. Although Olympic Medical Center fully supports this move towards price transparency, it is important to note that what is listed here in most cases are average prices for medical procedures which are subject to change.
Hospital charges are not the amount that a hospital is paid by the government, most private insurers, or the majority of the uninsured. Most importantly, the figures listed are not what a patient may pay for the service/procedure listed. The amount you will owe depends on your insurance plan, deductibles, co-pays, or co-insurance. Please be aware that prices may vary based on pre-existing health conditions, severity of illness, and the actual procedure performed. The prices listed here do not include physician fees.
Please note that a DRG, or diagnostic related grouping, is how Medicare and some health insurance companies categorize hospitalization costs and determine how much to pay for a patient’s hospital stay.
Estimates
Estimates can be obtained from your MyChart account or as a MyChart guest. For more information on a procedure or price, payment options, or possible financial assistance, or if you are uninsured or underinsured, please contact one of our Financial Counselors at (360) 417-7111 to discuss our Financial Assistance Program, prompt pay discounts, or other payment plan options that you may be eligible for.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of anticipated charges, medical care and diagnostic testing can take different turns. Therefore, please take note that this is only an estimate and not a guarantee of the cost of the service. Actual charges may be different because of your medical condition, length of time spent in surgery or recovery, complications requiring unanticipated procedures or other treatment, ancillary services, pre-op testing, medications, supplies and other supporting procedures such as contrast for imaging procedures.
Your physician may also choose to do a different test or order additional tests not included in this good faith estimate that may result in additional charges. Professional fees for Radiologists, non OMP Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, Hospitalists or Pathologists are not included in this estimate.
If you are covered by health insurance, we encourage you to contact your insurance company directly to inquire about your benefits and possible co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles. You may also want to check if your insurance plan requires authorization or other important items prior to the time of service. Lastly, please verify that your insurance plan is contracted with Olympic Medical Center to obtain optimal payment of your services.