Will Gundersen accept my insurance?
As a courtesy, we will file a claim to your insurance. Once we receive notice that your claim has been processed, we will send you a statement of any amount that is due. If your insurance does not respond directly to us within an appropriate time frame, you will receive a statement showing the full amount due.
Where can I get information with the median-billed cost of your top health care services, diagnostic test or procedures as required by the state of Wisconsin (Transparency Law 2009 Wisconsin Act 146)?
As a patient of Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, Inc., and/or Gundersen Clinic, Ltd., you have the right to receive information regarding charges and quality of certain health care services provided by the hospital. Please visit www.wipricepoint.org, or contact a Patient Business Services representative at (608) 775-8660 to obtain this information.
Why did I receive a blue and/or a green bill?
Clinic charges incurred after July 30, 2011 at Gundersen may now be combined with Hospital charges on the green billing statement. If you are still paying a balance on Clinic charges incurred prior to July 29, 2011, you will continue to receive the blue statement until those charges are paid.
The hospital will bill you for room, lab, x-ray and nursing services. The clinic will bill for the professional charges-these are the physician’s charge.
Am I responsible for usual and customary fees that my insurance company did not pay?
Each insurance company has the right to determine their payment amount, which is sometimes called “usual and customary”. We do not accept usual and customary allowances as determined by private insurances as payment in full. These balances will be your responsibility. We will provide any additional documentation, when appropriate, to help process your claim for maximum benefit.
What if I can’t pay my balance in full?
Account balances are to be paid 21 days from the statement date. If you are unable to pay in full by that date, you should contact Customer Financial Services at (608) 775-8660 or (800) 362-9567 ext. 58660 to discuss other resources that may be available to you. We reserve the right to place any account on a cash basis or require a pre-payment before medical and/or dental services are rendered.
Payment on your account may be made by the following methods:
- Prompt pay discount on qualified charges for patients who do not have insurance.
- Payment in full by personal check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or by securing your own bank loan
- Interest free financing that allows you to pay your bill in ten equal monthly payments for balances $500 and greater and a minimum of $50 per month for balance less than $500
- Financial Assistance may be available to patients who feel that they are unable to pay for all or part of their healthcare that they received from any Gundersen Health System facility or service. All patients who feel that they may be eligible are encouraged to apply. Financial assistance application forms are available upon request and without charge.
What do I do if I need a copy of my charges?
You may request an itemized statement for your charges by Contacting Us, email us at contactpbs@gundersenhealth.org, or by calling Customer Financial Services at (608) 775-8660 or (800) 362-9567 ext. 58660.
What do I do if I am now divorced?
Please provide us with a copy of your divorce decree. Once we receive a copy of the divorce decree, we will move both adults to separate accounts. Whoever was guarantor of the family account will continue to get two statements until the old account is paid. If children are involved, they will also be moved to their own account.
Please mail a copy of the divorce decree to:
Gundersen Health System
CFS NCA3-01
PO Box 4444
La Crosse, WI 54602-4444
I have a new balance and I received a call. Why?
This is a courtesy call from Patient Business Services to verify that you have received your statement and to make sure that the information we have is correct. We provide this call as a way of assisting in insurance filing, address changes, providing resources to assist with your balance and education on payment guidelines.
Who do I contact if I have any questions or concerns regarding my insurance payments?
Please contact your insurance company directly. If you need to appeal this with the insurance, they will instruct you on the procedure that you need to follow up.
Who do I contact regarding my bill, payment arrangements, address change, insurance information or to make a payment?
You may contact us by emailing through our website here, by calling (800) 362-9567, ext. 58660 or 775-8660 or you may visit us in the La Crosse or Onalaska Clinic lobbies.
The billing mailing address is:
Gundersen Health System
Patient Business Services - NCA3-01
PO Box 4444
La Crosse, WI 54602-4444
Who do I contact if my account has been referred to a collection agency?
Call the agency directly, even if you have a dispute as to the charges or why it was referred. Agencies are listed here.
Do I qualify for a discount if I do not have insurance?
Gundersen does offer a prompt pay discount to our uninsured patients on qualified services. To determine if you are eligible for the discount, please contact Customer Financial Services at (608) 775-8660 or (800) 362-9567 ext. 58660.
What is the difference between a Preventive Medicine Evaluation, an Annual Exam and an Office Visit?
A Preventive Medicine Evaluation is a clinic exam in which you have no signs, symptoms, complaints or chronic conditions. Your provider gives you a thorough checkup. He or she may order screening or lab tests to detect early signs of disease.
An Annual Exam can sometimes mean the same thing as a Preventive Medicine Evaluation. It is a routine checkup by the person you think of as your regular doctor. If you have a chronic disease, an annual exam might not be a Preventive Medicine Evaluation. Lab tests ordered because of a medical problem you already have are not considered preventive care.
An Office Visit is when you come to the clinic for an acute illness or a new symptom. You may have been sick for days and cannot seem to get better. On your bill, this is called an "Evaluation and Management Visit." You may or may not see your regular doctor.
Why am I being billed for two exams with the same provider on the same day?
If you have a Preventive Medicine Evaluation scheduled and you have an additional concern that you discuss with your provider, you may be billed for more than one service type, such as a Preventive Medicine Evaluation and an Office Visit.
If you have questions on how your charges are billing, please contact Customer Financial Services at (608) 775-8660 or (800) 362-9567 ext. 58660.
Why was my last payment applied to the bill in two separate places?
We post your payment to the oldest charges first. On your billing statement, we itemize both the charges and your payments.
Why did I receive a bill for a doctor I did not see?
Some providers may assist with your healthcare even though you may not meet them. These are the providers who ready your lab results, x-rays and other test results.
What is the difference between a Guarantor number and a Visit number?
A Guarantor number is an account number that is assigned to the person responsible for the bill. The Guarantor may or may not be the patient seen.
A visit number is a unique number assigned to each visit or, in some cases, a series of visits.