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Billing Information
We will be happy to bill your insurance company directly for services provided during your stay. If you have more than one insurance, we will bill them for any balance after your primary insurance has paid. If we need additional information from you in order to bill your insurance, we will contact you for this information. Sometimes an insurance company requires its insured to provide them with information directly, and will not accept the information from the hospital. It is very important that you respond promptly to any requests you receive from your insurance company for information.
We will send you a monthly statement for each account you have at SMMC that has a balance due from you. If we have a contract with your insurance company, we will not bill you until we know the amount of the bill which is your responsibility to pay. Each statement contains an important message about the status of your account. Please pay attention to these messages, and be sure to call us if you have any questions.
What Your Bill Means
If you would like an itemized copy of your bill, please call us at 283-7039 to request one. Your itemized bill will show a room charge which includes professional nursing care, bedside meals, permanent medical record services, social services and support services such as housekeeping, laundry, maintenance and the business office. The bill will also show separate charges for any services which are ordered by your physicians such as laboratory tests, x-rays, drugs and oxygen.
Anesthesiologist, radiologist and physician interpretation fees are billed separately. Your physician, and other physicians with whom he or she consults, will send you separate bills for their services. Payments for these physicians should be sent directly to their offices and not to SMMC.
Paying Your Bill
Your bill may be paid by mail or in person at our Cashier's Window, located on the First Floor near the Main Entrance. The Cashier's window is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 AM to 4 PM, and is closed some holidays. For your convenience, we accept Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express.
If you are unable to pay your bill in full, please contact the Patient Accounts Department to discuss your options. You may be eligible for Free Care or Partial Free Care based on your income, or we can work with you to set up a payment plan. If you have multiple accounts, we will be happy to combine them to a single account number for you.
Medical Care for Those Who Cannot Afford to Pay
We must give free care to Mainers with income less than 150% of the
Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Southern Maine Medical Center exceeds this
requirement by providing the following discounts:
Income Guidelines *
Size of
Family Unit | 175% FPL | 200% FPL | 225% FPL |
| 1 | $18,200 | $20,800 | $23,400 |
| 2 | 24,500 | 28,000 | 31,500 |
| 3 | 30,800 | 35,200 | 39,600 |
| 4 | 37,100 | 42,400 | 47,700 |
| 5 | 43,400 | 49,600 | 55,800 |
| 6 | 49,700 | 56,800 | 63,900 |
| 7 | 56,000 | 64,000 | 72,000 |
| 8 | 62,300 | 71,200 | 80,100 |
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| Discount Provided: | 100% | 50% | 25% |
For family units with more than 8 members with an income of 175% FPL, add $6,300 for each additional family member.For family units with more than 8 members with an income of 200% FPL, add $7,200 for each additional family member.For family units with more than 8 members with an income of 225% FPL, add $8,100 for each additional family member.
If you believe you qualify for Free Care, please request an application from the Patient Accounts office by calling (207) 283-7039, or you may pick up an application in person from the Cashier's Office, located on the first floor of the Medical Center.
Before providing Free Care, Southern Maine Medical Center will ask for information about your income and will ask you to show that insurance or a government medical assistance program will not pay for your care. This information is held in the strictest confidence. Patient Accounts will make a written determination of your eligibility for assistance within ten working days of the receipt of your request.
Services that are not medically necessary are not provided as Free Care. If you do not qualify for free hospital care, you are allowed to ask for a fair hearing. We will tell you how to apply for a fair hearing.
* FPL: Federal Poverty Level. 2007 Poverty Guidelines posted in Federal Register, 1/23/08, effective 6/1/08. Department of Human Services, Bureau of Medical Services.
About the Cost of Health Care
As a non-profit health institution, SMMC depends largely on payments for patient care to support its day-to-day operation. This operation goes on around-the-clock, all year long, and is available to people regardless of their ability to pay. SMMC, like all hospitals throughout the country, works to deliver the best care possible at the lowest possible cost. To accomplish this goal, we plan cooperatively with other hospitals in our region to avoid duplication of equipment and programs, offer many services on an outpatient or short stay basis, and participate in group purchasing activities.
Contacting Us
You can reach us by calling (207) 283-7039, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Voice mail is available after hours and weekends. We will return your call on the next business day. Additionally, you can email your billing inquiries to Tony Murray, SMMC Patient Accounts, at pas.ajm@smmc.org.
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