About the Billing Process

What you can do

Step 1: Before service or admission, be familiar with your insurance

If you are covered by insurance, it is always a good idea to be familiar with your insurance plan and/or contact your insurance carrier before coming to the hospital. Understanding your referral, authorization and financial requirements will help avoid any potential delays or issues. Find out if your policy or plan requires a pre-authorization or referral. If so, contact your insurance company and find out what you need to do to obtain one. Reminder: Medicare and Medicaid require written orders for all exams.

Step 2: Bring the following to your appointment

Come to your appointment at Portage Health with your:

Insurance card
Name and address of your plan or insurer(s)
Name and address of your claims payer (if different from insurer)
Your ID and group numbers
Name of the policyholder or subscriber

If applicable, for workers’ compensation, automobile, or personal injury cases, we require the name and address of your attorney, as well.

Our medical billing process: Here's how it works

Billing Process

If you have insurance, we submit a claim for payment, and any secondary claims, to the insurance company(ies) under the benefit coverage you specify, including workers’ compensation, auto insurance and personal injury.

Uninsured

If you are uninsured (self-pay), you will be sent an itemized bill requesting payment-in-full within 30 days of your discharge and subsequent monthly statements and/or letters indicating your new balance after payments or adjustments.

Insured

Once your insurance company has made payment, we will send you a balance statement for any amount your insurance did not cover. Subsequent monthly statements and/or letters will be sent to you indicating your new balance after any payments or adjustments.

Ultimately, you are responsible for payment of the account.

Please contact your insurance company if it has not paid for your service or procedure after 30 days. You can contact your insurance company by:

Calling a number that may be on the back of your insurance card
Visiting your insurance company's Web site
Talk to someone in your employer's human resources department

Financial Assistance

If you do not have insurance, please visit or call the Business Services department at (906) 483-1100 or (800) 573-5001 (toll-free). We have payment plans and financial assistance options, and our financial counselors will work with you to determine if you are eligible for financial assistance or self-pay discounts.

Why so many statements?

Portage Health bills for its employed-physician services separately from its hospital services. Therefore, most patients will receive at least two bills from Portage Health: one for hospital (facility) services and one for hospital-employed physician services. You also may receive other bills from non-Portage Health staff that are related to your stay at the hospital (i.e. Superior View Radiology - (877) 424-3330). To help organize your bill and statements, we've prepared a helpful page.