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Patient Rights and Billing

It’s Important to Know Your Rights as a Patient & How Billing Happens

As a patient at Memorial Health System you have a number of rights when it comes to your care. You may refer to the Patient Handbook for more information. It is available at our hospital locations.

Know Your Patient Rights:

  1. Memorial will respond to your requests and needs for treatment or service, provided that space is available and that the care reflects your interests and has been determined by your physician, podiatrist or dentist. We will respect your advance directives or your rights to formulate advance directives.
  2. We will provide care that is respectful, recognizes dignity and is private to the extent possible.
  3. We will treat your care information confidentially, based on applicable laws and regulations.
  4. We will involve you in making decisions regarding your care, including the assessment and management of pain.
  5. We will give you information in the language you understand or have the information interpreted.
  6. You have the right to give informed consent (which means your making decisions in collaboration with your physician). You or your legal representative may give that consent. In order to have consent, we will provide you information that includes:
    • An explanation of recommended treatments or procedures in understandable terms
    • An explanation of the risks and benefits of treatment, including the chance of success, mortality risks and serious side-effects
    • An explanation of the alternatives and the risks and benefits of such
    • An explanation of the likely consequences if no treatment is pursued
    • An explanation of the recuperative period, including anticipated problems and anticipated length of recuperation
    • An explanation that you or your legal representative is free to withdraw consent and discontinue participation in treatment
    • A disclosure statement that your physician, dentist or podiatrist is participating in teaching, research, experimental or education projects related to your case
  7. We will explain admission procedures when you are admitted, including disclosure of the hospital’s policy statement on patient rights which includes:
    • The right to participate in all decisions involving care or treatment consistent with state and federal statutes
    • The right to refuse any drug, test, treatment or procedure consistent with state and federal statutes including likely medical consequences of such refusal
    • The right to receive considerate and respectful care in a clean and safe environment, free of unnecessary restraint
    • The right to be informed of the hospital’s rules and regulations applicable to you
    • The right to be informed of the hospital’s grievance procedure (a patient representative can be reached by calling the hospital operator at (719) 365-5621)
    • The right to file a grievance with the appropriate state agency (The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Dr. South, Denver, CO 80246; (303) 692-2800.)
    • The right to file a grievance with the Joint Commission (www.jointcommission.org)
  8. You have the right to know the names, professional status and experience of the staff providing your care or treatment.
  9. Prior to the initiation of non-emergency treatment and upon request, you have the right to be informed of routine, usual or customary charges or estimated charges for service, based on an average patient with a diagnosis similar to your tentative admission diagnosis.
    • If you have questions, you can call (719) 365-2138 for medical cost information between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
    • Based on your insurance information, the hospital will help you estimate co-payments, deductibles or other charges that must be paid by you. You can get assistance on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. by calling Patient Financial Services at (719) 365-5242.
    • The hospital may include a disclaimer with the disclosure of any charges. Such disclaimer may include variables, which may alter any disclosed charge. Any charges prohibited by law or a third-party payor contract will include a no-charge disclaimer in the disclosure.
  10. You have the right to information regarding teaching, research, education or experimental projects related to your care, regardless of whether your care is provided by a physician, podiatrist or dentist. You have the right to refuse to participate in such projects.
  11. We will maintain your medical records in confidence and in accordance with the medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations. You have the right to have access to your medical records by contacting Medical Information Services at (719) 365-5272.
  12. You have the right to choose your post-hospital care provider. As part of the discharge planning process, Memorial will not specify or limit any qualified agency that may provide post-hospital home health or other services in compliance with the Patient Choice Law. Hospital staff will assist patients and families with information about care providers or available services.

How We Handle Billing

Paying for your care: Memorial Health System accepts most types of insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid and other commercial or managed care insurance. If you are uninsured, we can assist you in determining your qualifications for a variety of government and internal financial assistance programs. Our benefit coordinators can assist you while you are in the hospital with applying for State or Federal programs. Benefit coordinators can be reached at (719) 365-5681.

As part of your discharge and checkout process, a co-payment, deductible or deposit for your hospital stay will be required in most cases.

After your discharge, we will send an itemized bill to your insurance carrier or to your home, as applicable. If you have questions concerning your bill after your discharge, please contact us. If you do not have insurance and did not have the opportunity to visit with one of our benefit coordinators while you were with us, Patient Financial Services will assist you.

If you need more information or assistance, use the following guide:

  • For medical cost information, call (719) 365-2138 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
  • Memorial’s benefit coordinators can be reached at (719) 365-5681 while you are in the hospital, for help with applying for State or Federal programs that help you pay for your hospital care.
  • Patient Financial Services can be reached at (719) 365-5242 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • For access to your medical records, contact Medical Information Services at (719) 365-5272.

 For information on Memorial’s grievance procedure, contact a patient representative by calling the hospital operator (719) 365-5000 for Memorial Hospital Central, (719) 364-5000 for Memorial Hospital North) or by dialing (719) 365-5621.