Hackensack Meridian Health Financial Assistance

Everyone at Hackensack Meridian Health understands and appreciates how overwhelming it can be to deal with health issues and billing issues at the same time, particularly confusing medical bills and insurance details.

We strive to make this process as easy as possible for our patients by inviting you to call our Patient Accounts Department directly at 732-776-4380 if you have questions or if we can assist you, either while you are still here as a patient or after you’ve returned home. Your complete bill will be mailed to you. However, private room costs and insurance deductibles are due at the time of admission, and can be paid at the Admitting Department which is open 24 hours a day. If you do not have coverage with an insurance provider, we will contact you to determine your eligibility for financial assistance and to make payment arrangements.

Need Financial Assistance?

Pricing Inquiries

For your convenience, a pricing specialist is available to help you understand what your potential out-of-pocket costs will be for services. Learn more about pricing inquiries here.

The Hackensack Meridian Health Online Bill Payment Center accepts the following credit cards: VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, and DISCOVER.

If you would like to make a payment over the phone using our automated phone system, please call 732-776-4380. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with one of our representatives Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6:00 pm at one of our Billing & Insurance numbers.

Please Note:

Payments made after 3:00 PM will not be processed until the next business day.
This transaction will appear on your bank statement with Company Entry Description “EPAY HOSP”.

Pay Your Bill Serviced by PatientCo Here:

Click here to pay your bill

To request specific information regarding your account, please contact us through our Account Information Request form.

Separate Billing

Under federal law, certain services cannot be included in your hospital bill. Therefore, you will receive separate physician bills for each service rendered by the following:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Cardiology
  • EEG
  • EKG Emergency Physicians
  • House Staff Psychiatry
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Pathology
  • Pulmonary Function Department
  • Radiology (films and interpretations)
  • Surgical Assistants
  • Speech Therapy

These physician fees are for professional services rendered and/or interpretation of studies performed, and any questions regarding them should be addressed directly to those physician offices.

In addition, if a house staff physician treats you for a situation that arises when your own physician is not available, you will be billed directly by that physician. The charges will not appear on your hospital bill. You should submit any such bills to your insurance provider or make arrangements for payment directly with your physician.

To Our Surgical Patients

In major surgical cases, it is mandatory to have a second qualified surgeon or surgeons available to assist the attending surgeon. Its purpose is to ensure the quality and safety of complex procedures. Traditionally, the cost of an assisting surgeon or surgeons was included in your hospital bill. Today, however, the Federal Tax Equity and Responsibility Act (TEFRA) does not allow such an inclusion, so you will receive a separate bill from the assisting surgeon or surgeons and are expected to pay for the services rendered by them.

Insurance companies are familiar with this practice and should include the assisting surgeon or surgeons for payment, if it is an included benefit. These bills should be forwarded to your insurance provider.

Insurance Limitations

Under Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party regulations, only certain levels of care may be covered at our hospitals. Insurance benefits may be discontinued if your physician or Health Care Quality Strategies, Inc. (HQSI), decides that further care is not medically necessary. You may be held personally responsible for any non-covered services.

Hospital-Based Outpatient Coinsurance Notice

Certain hospital outpatient divisions, such as the Multi-Disciplinary and Oncology Care Centers, can be classified as “Hospital-Based Outpatient” departments by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “Hospital-Based Outpatient” refers to the billing process for services rendered in a hospital outpatient department or location, and is a common practice for integrated health care systems where the hospital employs the support personnel involved in patient care, and physicians provide their services in a hospital-owned space. This clinical integration results in a more seamless coordination of your care across the clinics and hospital. If you have a question about this designation, please ask our registrar.

The “Hospital-Based Outpatient” designation means that you will receive separate billing statements for services provided in the clinic: a hospital fee and a physician(s) professional service fee.

Q. What are the benefits of being cared for at a “Hospital-Based Outpatient” clinic?
Hospital-based outpatient clinics are held to nationally recognized service and patient care standards, leading to high quality care for patients.

Q: Why use this billing process?
A: Patients admitted to the hospital or seen in our outpatient departments have typically received separate billings for hospital staff and physician services. Following this same type of billing process ensures more appropriate payment for the care provided.

Q: Does this mean patients will pay more for services?
A: It’s possible some patients will pay more for certain outpatient services and procedures at our hospital outpatient locations, depending on the services they receive and their specific insurance coverage.

Medicare patients could incur a coinsurance or deductible liability to the hospital that they would not incur if the facility were not hospital-based.

We encourage patients to review their insurance benefits or contact their insurance provider to determine what their policy will pay and what out-of-pocket expenses they may incur.

Q: Does this affect patient co-pays or deductibles?
A: Depending on each patient’s specific insurance benefits, additional out-of-pocket expenses may be incurred under the “Hospital-Based Outpatient” model.

Questions on estimates of possible co-insurance payment amounts can be addressed to our Patient Accounting Customer Service Department at (732) 776-4380.