Ascension Via Christi St. Francis

Physician orders

If your physician wrote an order referring you to the hospital for health services, be sure to bring it with you to help avoid unnecessary delays during registration.

Health insurance card and driver's license

• Bring a current copy of your health insurance card and driver's license or other photo ID. We ask for these cards at each visit to ensure we have the most current information when we bill your insurance company.
• Be sure to review your health insurance plan booklet or call your health insurance company to verify specific benefits and requirements. Many insurance plans require prior approval before services can be covered. Providing us with accurate and complete information during the registration process is vital in ensuring that your hospital bill will be processed correctly and in a timely manner.
• We will ask you to sign forms that authorize the release of health information to certain individuals or entities related to processing your hospital bill, assign insurance benefits to Via Christi, consent to medical treatment and agreement to pay for these services.

Preregistration and preadmission

All scheduled patients with an active cell phone number or email address on record will receive a preregistration invitation. When you arrive for your scheduled service date, this will expedite the check-in process. If you prefer to register in person, Admissions will assist you on the day of your appointment. When you check in, we will verify demographic and insurance information. We will scan your insurance card and identification.

Precertification

Many insurance plans require authorizations be obtained from the primary care physician or insurance company before services are provided. Failure to obtain required approvals may result in your claim being denied for payment, making you responsible for all charges. Please call your physician or your insurance company prior to the date of your services to ensure that your insurance company has been contacted and verify that appropriate approvals have been obtained.

Insurance network requirements

Some insurance plans require that you receive services at a contracting provider in order to receive the maximum benefit of your policy. If your plan requires you to receive services at a participating provider, and Ascension Via Christi Hospital is not the preferred provider for your plan, you may receive a penalty from your insurance company, which could result in a higher out-of-pocket expense to you.

We encourage you to contact your insurance company directly or review your health insurance plan booklet to verify your specific benefits and requirements. 

Please note: A prior authorization typically represents the approval of the insurance company for a procedure to be done based on medical necessity. 

If Via Christi is not a preferred provider for your insurance plan, additional approval must be obtained from the insurance company by you and/or your physician to authorize that the procedure will be allowed to be rendered at Via Christi at the preferred provider rate in order for you to avoid any penalty by your insurance company for receiving services at an out-of-network facility.