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Preparing for Your Visit: Patient Access Pre-Services
We look forward to seeing you at your upcoming visit to one of our Southwell facilities. Please complete the following steps to prepare for your visit.
Central Scheduling
Our centralized scheduling system has dedicated schedulers on standby to assist you with most of your outpatient scheduling needs. You can contact our central scheduling department by calling (229) 353-7899 or by faxing (229) 353-7309 or (229) 353-7369.
Pre-Registration
Patient pre-registration allows the staff to capture patient data in advance. With access to patient data, the clinical staff has enough time to organize, review, and share information. Not only does this alleviate the burden of in-person registration, but it also helps in preparing the providers. We want you to have a seamless process. You can contact our pre-registration department by calling (229) 353-7371.
Pre-Certification
Sometimes called pre-authorization or pre-certification, this is a health plan cost-control process by which physicians and other health care providers must obtain advanced approval from a health plan before a specific service is delivered to the patient to qualify for payment coverage. This is an important piece of the process in order to be financially cleared with no delays to your care. You can contact our Pre-Certification department by calling (229) 353-7315 or by faxing (229) 353-7317.
Obtain an Estimate
Obtain an estimate for the service(s) you are going to receive via our email: PatientPricing@mysouthwell.com. You can also click here for a self-service price estimator.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Be sure to call your insurance company to verify if an authorization is required for your procedure or service. (Please note you will need the CPT code, which can be obtained from your physician’s office).
If authorization is required, be sure to follow up with your physician’s office to ensure the authorization is obtained prior to your service(s)
Obtaining pre-certification or prior authorization helps you and your provider know what will be covered by your health plan before any services are performed. This will ensure you avoid unnecessary out-of-pocket costs from non-covered or non-approved services.
It also helps the insurance company ensure you receive the best care possible, in the best setting possible.
Please call our Financial Counselors Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm at 229-353-6124 EXT# 2 or visit our Patient Financial webpage by clicking here.
Want to know if you qualify for Medicaid? Click here for more information.
What do I Need to Know Before my Visit?
We strive to provide the best level of care for our patients. In doing so, we’d like to ensure you feel prepared with the knowledge and information needed to navigate through the healthcare system. Click on each box below to read the definition of this commonly-used terminology.
The amount each you are expected to pay for healthcare services your health plan covers before your health plan begins to pay.
The percentage of the shared cost of a covered healthcare service. For example, your plan may require that you pay 20 percent, after your deductible is met. At the time of service, you pay co-insurance plus any deductible you owe.
Refers to the limit on the total amount your health plan requires you to pay in deductible and coinsurance in a year. When a health plan member reaches their out-of-pocket maximum, the member no longer pays coinsurance because the plan will begin to pay 100 percent of the medical expenses.
A doctor or physician does not have a contract with your health insurance plan provider. This can sometimes result in higher prices or will not cover care from out-of-network providers except in the event of an emergency.
Current Procedure Terminology codes are numbers assigned to medical services and procedures. The codes are part of a uniform system maintained by the American Medical Association and used by healthcare providers and insurance companies. CPT codes are utilized in several ways such as: on medical bills to identify the charge for each service and procedure billed by the provider to you and/or your health plan. You will need CPT codes to obtain price estimates of your service(s) and/or to identify if your service requires an authorization.
A surgery deemed not emergent or urgent, is considered elective
An employer funded group plan from which employers are reimbursed tax-free for qualified medical expenses, up to a certain amount per year. Your employer funds and owns the account and can also be referred to as health reimbursement arrangements.
An arrangement set up through your employment to pay for many of your out-of-pocket medical expenses with tax-free dollars. You decide how much of your pre-tax wages you’d like to take out of your paycheck and put into an FSA. There is a limit on the amount you can put into your FSA each year, but your employer may set a lower limit. Funds added to your FSA account may not roll over, however, to verify please reach out to your employer’s benefits department.
A medical savings account available to taxpayers who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan. Funds contributed to the account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of the deposit. Unlike an FSA, funds roll over from year to year if the funds are not used.
The process of getting approval from your health plan before you have any health care related services performed.
Medical services that are not included in your health plan. If you receive non-covered services, your health plan will not reimburse for those services, therefore, your provider will bill you. For a list of services or questions regarding which services your health plan covers, you must contact your health plan directly.
