Patient Financial Services

A part of your overall health and wellness includes your financial wellness. Because we care about your wellness, we have Patient Financial Counselors available to help you understand your bill, get an idea of how much services cost, understand your insurance, and help you decide what payment options are best for you.  We have a helpful guide that helps you understand terms, resources, and other services that make paying your bills a little easier.  Download it here.

Paying For Services

If you provide Southwest Health with your insurance information during registration, we can bill your insurance company on your behalf. In the event that you are not able to provide your insurance information at the time of registration, please send us a copy of your card via fax at (608) 342-0938 or mail it to the physical address below with “Attn: Patient Financial” in the address.

Please remember, all charges not paid by your insurance company, including coinsurance and deductible amounts, must be paid within 30 days of billing unless you contact us to establish payment arrangements.  To find out more about billing and insurance, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

To pay by Visa or MasterCard in MyChart, click here.

To pay by check or money order, please include your guarantor number in the note section and send to:

Southwest Health Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 182032
Columbus OH  43218-2032

To Pay in person, you may visit us at 1400 Eastside Road, Platteville, WI  53818.

Questions? Please call (608) 342-4717.

Financial Assistance

A financial counselor is available to discuss your payment options and create a payment plan for your hospital bill. If you have no insurance, our counselors can review programs for which you may qualify and would be more than happy to assist you in the application process.

Financial Assistance Program

To help you pay for your care, we can also provide an application for our Financial Assistance Program. Federal poverty guidelines are used to determine program eligibility and remember, elective hospital services are not eligible. If you apply for financial assistance, you will need to supply supporting documents (we will go over these with you).

 

Click on the document name below to view:

Plain Language Summary of Financial Assistance- English
Plain Language Summary of Financial Assistance- Spanish

Financial Application English Policy FY 2024
Financial Application Spanish Policy FY 2024

Financial Assistance Application (English)
Financial Assistance Spanish Application (Spanish)

For questions, please call our Financial Counselor at (608) 342-4717.

BadgerCare+

Getting access to health insurance for your family is easy. To apply for free or low-cost health and nutrition benefits, visit this link or call (800) 362-3002.

ESTIMATES

To receive an estimate for future services, please contact the manager of Patient Financial Services at (608) 348-2331. All quotes are estimates based on historical information. Actual patient balances will differ due to medical history, lab work, pharmacy dosage, etc. Any differences between estimates and actual balance are the patient’s responsibility.

If your insurance company requires this information, you will need to contact them directly. Many insurance companies require written documentation and will not take information verbally. It is your responsibility to follow-up with your insurance company as SHC cannot act on your behalf in these cases to obtain payment.

 

National Health Services Corps

No one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay, and there is a discounted/sliding fee schedule available based on family size, income and location of services.

Overview

Southwest Health Center, Inc. is committed to offering financial assistance to people who have health care needs and are not able to pay for care.  Southwest Health Center, Inc. strives to make sure that the financial capacity of people who need health care services does not prevent them from seeking or receiving care.  The National Health Service Corps Site Assistance program offers assistance for primary care and mental and behavioral health care, regardless of your ability to pay at Southwest Health’s National Health Service Corps-approved site(s).

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a federal program that helps bring medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health professionals to communities with limited access to healthcare, including rural areas.  Its members are dedicated to ensuring health care for everyone, preventing disease and illness, and caring for those who might otherwise go without care.

Common Language Definitions

Family is defined as: a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family.  Southwest Health will also accept non-related household members when calculating family size if they reside in the same residence.

Income includes: gross wages; salaries; tips; income from business and self-employment; unemployment compensation; workers’ compensation; Social Security; Supplemental Security Income; public assistance; veterans’ payments; survivor benefits; pension or retirement income; interest dividends; royalties; income from rental properties, estates, and trusts; alimony; child support; assistance from outside the household; and other miscellaneous sources.*

* For verification purposes only, we will require a copy of driver’s license, most current tax return and copies of the last three pay stubs for the income listed above.

Eligibility Requirements for National Health Service Corps Site Assistance

Eligibility is based on a patient’s annual income and family size under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ annual Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Once program eligibility is assessed, a patient who meets the income guidelines would receive a sliding fee discount based on a sliding fee scale (SFS).  The SFS is based on annual updates to the Federal Poverty guidelines.  We will evaluate/re-evaluate eligibility for this program once a year.

Those with incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level will receive a full 100% discount, after a $5.00 nominal fee, on primary care and mental and behavioral health care.  Those with incomes above 100% of the federal poverty level, but at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, will be charged according to the sliding fee schedule.

Patients must receive services at one of the NHSC approved locations and qualify as low-income (can be uninsured or underinsured patients) in order to be eligible for the SFS discounts.

For verification purposes only, we will require a copy of driver’s license(s), the most current tax return and copies of the last three pay stubs for the income listed in the application.  We will also revalidate and reevaluate eligibility once a year

 

NHSC-Approved Sites at Southwest Health

  • Platteville Primary Care Rural Health Clinic
  • Southwest Health Behavioral Services Outpatient Clinic (A part of the Platteville Rural Health Clinic)

When patients visit one of the Southwest Health NHSC-approved sites, they benefit from our promise to:

  • Serve all patients
  • Offer discounted fees for patients who qualify
  • Provide services regardless of age, gender identity, race, color, sex, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation and/or ability to pay
  • Accept Medicaid and Medicare Insurances

Notification of NHSC Site Status

Southwest Health will notify patients of the Sliding Fee Discount Program by:

  • Payment Policy Brochure will be available to all patients at the time of service
  • An explanation of our Sliding Fee Discount Program and our application form are available on Southwest Health’s website
  • Southwest Health places notification of Sliding Fee Discount Program in the Clinic Waiting areas

Refusal to Pay

If a patient verbally expresses an unwillingness to pay or vacates the premises without paying for services, the patient will be contacted in writing via a statement regarding their payment obligations.  If the patient does not make effort to pay or fails to respond within 60 days, this constitutes refusal to pay.  At this point in time, Southwest Health can explore options not limited to, but including offering the patient a payment plan or referring the patient to collections.

How to Apply

To apply for the MHSC Program, the Discounted/Sliding Fee Program application must be completed and all verifying documents sent to Southwest Health, Attn: Patient Financial counselors, 1400 Eastside Road, Platteville, WI  53818.

Applications can be accessed:

  • At the facility; located at any of the Greeter Desks, Registration Desks, or Patient Financial Counselors Office located in the hospital
  • By mail, if individuals make a request by phone, call 608-342-4717 (option 2), or request by mail by sending request to: Southwest Health, Patient Financial Counselor, 1400 Eastside Road, Platteville WI, 53818
  • Downloading an application online click here.

Applications can be returned by:

  • At the facility; located at any of the Greeter Desks, Registration Desks, or Patient Financial Counselors Office located in the hospital
  • By mail, if individuals make a request by phone, call 608-342-4717 (option 2), or request by mail by sending request to: Southwest Health, Patient Financial Counselor, 1400 Eastside Road, Platteville WI, 53818
  • Emailed to Patient Financial Counselors: pfscs@southwesthealth.org