Make a payment without enrolling

General Questions

Got a question? We've got answers. Listed below are questions that you may have about Watertown Regional Medical Center's Online Business Office and our billing process. Online Registration Bills Insurance Financial Assistance

Online

1.	How do I view my account information and manage my account online? To view your account information, you must enroll in Watertown Regional Medical Center's Online Business Office. Creating a user name and personal password for the account will ensure that only you can securely access your account information.
2.	Can another family member access my online account? A family member can access your account only if you provide that person with your user name and password. If two family members are responsible for payment of an account, then each person will have to enroll separately.
3.	Can I contact the hospital/physician Business Office through e-mail? Yes, you may e-mail the Business Office 24 hours a day, seven days a week with questions by clicking on "Contact Us" in the top right hand corner of this page. The Business Office will reply to your message during normal business office hours, 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday thru Friday.
4.	Besides viewing my account and paying my bill online, what other options are available on Watertown Regional Medical Center's Online Business Office? In addition to viewing and paying your accounts online, the site includes other resources to help you understand and manage your health care billing. With the Online Business Office you can: View frequently asked questions (FAQ'S) View tips on organizing your medical bills and downloading files View our guide to appealing insurance denials View our hints on shopping for health insurance. Access important phone numbers and web sites. View a glossary of billing terms
5.	Do I need to enroll in order to use resources, such as the glossary, tips, etc.? No, the above resources are available to you 24 hours a day, regardless of your enrollment. Enroll only if you would like to access account information or track insurance/personal payments.
6.	Will I be able to make one payment for several open patient accounts, for different visits? Yes, as long as the accounts are with Watertown Regional Medical Center or Watertown Medical Group. At this time, you will only be able to view the billing information for accounts with Watertown Regional Medical Center.
7.	Do I need to establish an electronic payment method to be eligible for the Online Business Office. No, you will have the option to either establish an electronic payment method, or print a payment stub on your home printer and mail it to Watertown Regional Medical Center.
8.	What types of electronic payment methods can I use? You can make your payments electronically via credit card, (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) debit card or electronic check.
9.	Can I print a payment stub and send it with my payment instead of paying electronically? Yes, you have the option to print a payment stub and send it with your check or credit card information to the hospital/physician. Just click the "Pay by Mail" option on the "Make Payment" page.

Registration

10.	Should I bring my insurance card with me to my hospital and clinic appointments? Yes, please present your insurance card to registration staff everytime you receive service.
11.	What if I forgot to bring my insurance card to my appointment? Call the Business Office after your appointment and provide your health insurance information.

Bills

12.	Why have I received a bill? The hospital/physician sends a bill as a communication tool to keep you informed about the status of your account, including whether payments have been received. To ensure that your insurance information is accurate, please review your statement.
13.	When I call on my spouses or children's accounts I can't always get the information I am asking for, why is that? Due to Federal privacy laws we cannot disclose any information that is considered protected health information "PHI". We can answer general questions regarding what insurance was billed and on what dates, etc. We cannot answer questions specific to what type of service was received and why. If your children are 18 years or older they do fall under this privacy guideline.
14.	I have a new balance and I received a call. Why? This is a courtesy call from our Business Office to verify that you have received your statement and to provide resources to assist with your balance and education on our payment guidelines.
15.	Why do I get separate bills for hospital/physician services received on different dates? When sending a claim to your health plan, we are required to file a separate claim for each inpatient or outpatient visit.
16.	Who can I talk to with questions about my bill? A Business Office Representative is available to help you via e-mail or over the telephone and will respond to your inquiry regarding your bill as soon as possible. For Watertown Regional Medical Center's contact information, please select the "Contact Us" option included on the website.
17.	The address to send payments to is not a Watertown address. Is this correct? Yes, the hospital payments go to PO Box 684037, Chicago, IL 60695-4037, PMO Billing payments go to PO Box 684088, Chicago, IL 60695-4088. Watertown Medical Group payments go to 28476 Network Place, Chicago, IL 60673-1284. These are lockbox locations that Watertown Regional Medical Center utilizes to deposit payments.
18.	Will you bill my insurance plan for me? Yes, Watertown Regional Medical Center will bill your health insurance plan. Please provide any information that your insurance company (accident information, claim forms, coordination of benefits information, pre-existing condition information or other health information) has requested. Insurance claims are generally paid four to six weeks after the claim is filed.
19.	Will the business office file my Workers' Compensation claim for me? Yes. Our business office will bill Workers' Compensation insurance if you provide the information at the time of registration.
20.	Why did I receive more than one bill? If you receive more than one bill, please review them carefully. You may have received a bill(s) from the physician(s) who saw you at the hospital or read your test results. Physicians send bills for their services separately from the hospital. If you have questions about a bill you have received, please call the telephone number on the bill.
21.	I received a hospital/physician statement, but it shows only totals. Can I have an itemized bill? Itemized bills are available upon request. You can request an itemized bill by selecting this option via e-mail under "My Account" or contacting us directly by phone.
22.	How do I know that the amount you are billing me is the correct amount? Once your health plan pays their portion of the bill, they will send you an explanation of benefits (EOB) to show how the claim was paid. You can compare the EOB to the statement sent by the hospital/physician. How your insurance paid your claim is based on your benefits and their contract with Watertown Regional Medical Center. If you feel your insurance should have paid a different amount, please contact them directly for resolution.
23.	I received a letter stating my account has been referred to a collection agency or collection attorney. Why was this done and what should I do? Before an account is placed with a collection agency, you will receive three billing statements from Watertown Regional Medical Center advising you of your account activity. You may also receive phone calls from a Patient Financial Counselor during this billing period. After these steps have been taken and payment or payment arrangements have not been made, the account is then referred to a collection agency. These agencies act under the direction of Watertown Regional Medical Center. Once an account is placed with an outside collection agency, we ask that you work directly with the agency to resolve the balance. We hope this lessens confusion and frustration by eliminating unnecessary phone calls.

Insurance

24.	Why didn't my insurance pay? Please contact your insurance directly for this information.
25.	I gave my insurance information to my doctor, why don't you have it? Physicians maintain their own patient information. Also, your benefit coverage may be different for physician services than it is for hospital services. For these reasons, physicians and hospitals retain separate insurance information.
26.	Even though I gave the hospital/physician my medical insurance information, I was later asked for my automobile insurance because my injury was due to an auto accident. My medical insurance will cover the bill, why is any other insurance needed? Health plans normally only pay benefits after automobile accidents or worker's compensation insurance has paid its portion. This is also a requirement for Medicare and Medicaid. If we do not provide the accident insurance information at the time of billing, the claim will be delayed or may even be denied, until the information is provided.
27.	How can I check with my insurance to make sure they will cover the services I received? A customer service telephone number is listed on most health plan ID cards. Before you call, have available your insurance card, dates of service, hospital/physician name, the original billed amount, patient name and claim number, if applicable. Remember to write down the name of the person you speak to at the health plan. If your claim has not been paid, ask what is needed for the claim to be paid. Other key questions you should ask the health plan's customer service representative include: Am I covered for these services? What portion of this claim will I be responsible for paying? What is the status of the account? When should we expect payment?
28.	How do I know if my health plan will cover my hospital and/or physician service? Check with your health plan or your employer regarding any pre-certification requirements prior to receiving health care services as coverage varies with each plan.
29.	Do I need to let my health plan know that I am going to be in the hospital? Check with your health plan or your employer regarding any pre-certification requirements prior to receiving health care services. Because coverage varies with each plan, Watertown Regional Medical Center may not know if you need prior approval for your hospital stay or out patient services.
30.	Why didn't my insurance pay for some services? Insurance policies vary on what services are covered or paid. Your particular policy may not cover a certain service or you may not meet your policy's deductible or coinsurance requirement(s).
31.	How do I know if my insurance company will cover services provided by all professionals (e.g. anesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists) involved with my treatment? Check with your health plan or your employer about this. Each professional needs to contract individually with health plans and the hospital/physician does not know if each professional is contracted with your health plan.
32.	How will I know if my insurance has paid my claim? If there is a balance due from you after your health plan has paid its portion, Watertown Regional Medical Center will send you a statement. The statement will show the amount that has been paid and any balance that your are required to pay.
33.	How will I know what portion of the bill I should pay? The amount you owe can be found in the Account Summary section, on the left side of your statement. If your health plan has paid part of your claim, the statement will identify the amount paid and the amount you owe. Your health plan also indicates the amount you are responsible for on the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) form provided.
34.	How can I pay my portion of my bill? We offer several payment options: Make an online payment using your Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express or debit card by selecting the online payment options as part of "My Account". You can also click on "Make a Payment" option at the top right hand side of the screen under the tabs. Pay with credit card by calling the phone number listed on your hospital/physician statement. Mail your check or money order payable to the hospital/physician and include your account number. Mail the payment to the address included on your hospital/physician statement. Payments are also accepted at the cashier office at the hospital. If payment in full is not possible, payment arrangements may be made by contacting a Watertown Regional Medical Center Patient Financial Counselor at the number listed on your statement.
35.	What is a deductible, what is a copay, what is coinsurance? A deductible is the amount that you pay before your health plan begins to pay for your services. Typically a deductible is a flat dollar amount($ 250.00, $500.00, or more). A Copay is a flat fee that that is due for each visit to a provider. For example, most insurance plans require a copay that is due for each physician office visit. Copays are typically in the $ 25.00 - $100.00 range. Coinsurance is generally a percentage of allowed charges that your insurance will pay. For example, your insurance may pay 80% of allowed charges.
36.	What is the difference between Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B? Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospitalization and Medicare Part B covers outpatient and physician services.
37.	Why do I have to give you information about other insurance if I have Medicare coverage? Medicare requires hospitals to bill any health plan that could have responsibility for your expenses before Medicare is billed. In fact, Medicare will not allow Watertown Regional Medical Center to file a claim for payment until the other insurer (or primary payor) has paid or denied the claim. For example, if you were injured in a car accident, at your work site, or on someone else's property, it is the hospital's responsibility to make sure your claims are filed appropriately to the accident insurance plan, before it is submitted to Medicare.

Financial Assistance

38.	What do I need to provide to qualify for Financial Assistance? The first step is to submit an application, which may be obtained by downloading an application under "Payment Options/Billing Procedures" or calling our Patient Financial Counselors at: Hospital application: A-L (920)262-4396 M-Z (920)262-4228 Physician application: A-Z (920)262-4321
39.	In addition to the application, are there other requirements? To make a fair determination, we will need the following documents to complete our investigation: A copy of a photo ID is required (WI drivers license / WI ID). Last year's Form 1040 federal income tax return, with all Forms W-2 and/or 1099. Last two weeks of paystubs with year to date totals, or last two months of paystubs without year to date totals (if paid in cash without paystubs, provide written verification from employer). Proof of income from all other sources such as unemployment compensation, disability income, rental income, pensions, annuities, interest payments, etc. If you are currently receiving Social Security benefits, a copy of your "benefit amount" letter. Copies of bank statements for checking, savings, certificates of deposit, etc. for the last two months. A copy of a current utility bill, telephone bill, or cable television bill from the residence at which you reside. If you are a student, a list of the current semester's credits/classes and a copy of your student ID. If you report $0 income on the following page, a completed Support Statement (at the end of the form) from any person(s) providing support to you or your family.
40.	How long does it take to get an answer? Applicants for Financial Assistance will be notified in writing of acceptance or denial within 30 days of receipt of a complete application and supporting documentation.
41.	Can Watertown Regional Medical Center deny my Financial Assistance Application? Yes, Watertown Regional Medical Center's Financial Assistance Program is not an entitlement program. If you choose not to submit the required documentation or if your income is over the federal poverty guidelines we can deny your application. If you should receive a denial for your application, call a Patient Financial Counselor to discuss our payment options.