Financial Information & Services
It is our mission at GRMC to make a positive difference in every life we touch. That includes providing financial assistance and services for patients.
About Your Medical Bill
Once you complete your registration process at GRMC, you will have provided any health insurance information you have. Your medical insurance may cover all or part of your charges. We understand your hospital bill may be confusing and lengthy, but our professionals in patient accounts are available to assist and answer any questions regarding your bill and payment options.
Bill Payment Options
For your convenience, we have several options that provide you access to view, pay and manage your bill.
Pay Your Bill – We offer a quick pay option where you do not have to enroll, or you can enroll and have access to your statements, set up recurring payment plans, and choose to go paperless.
Patient Portal – Through GRMC’s patient portal, you can register and access your health information, which includes your bill.
You can also read about our Collection Policy HERE.
Patients who are uninsured who do not meet the qualifications for Public Assistance or Indigent Health Care may qualify for GRMC Charity Care. If the family’s annual gross income is less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty level, the patient qualifies for free or discounted care (certain elective services excluded).
For all uninsured patients, regardless of income, please inquire about our Time of Service/Pay in Full discount options.
Guadalupe Regional Medical Center accepts cash, check, Visa, Master Card and Discover. GRMC also provides a Recurring Payment Option, which is an automatic monthly payment by electronic check or credit card. If interested in Recurring Payments, contact 830.401.7874 or 830.401.7875.
Effective Jan. 1st 2019, all hospitals in the U.S. are required to make available, via the internet in a machine-readable format, a list of their current standard charges for services, and to update this information at least annually or more often as appropriate. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has issued this requirement in an effort to create more transparency about the cost of treatment and services at hospitals.
Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (GRMC) determines its standard charges for patient services with the use of a chargemaster system, which is a list of charges for the components of patient care that go into every patient’s bill. These are the baseline rates for services provided at this hospital.
The chargemaster is similar in concept to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) on a vehicle. It is the starting price of each service performed and goods consumed associated with the individual patient’s treatment. The chargemaster rates are updated from time to time to accurately reflect the hospital’s expenses to operate. Of note, drug prices are not listed in the hospital’s charge master. The amount that GRMC charges for drugs is based on average wholesale price and can fluctuate daily. The drug prices listed in the posted file are averages taken on one single day. Drug price can also depend on whether drug is dispensed as an individual product (ORD type MED) or must be combined with other components (ORD type ADD or CAR).
Standard charges shown in the attached file do not necessarily reflect what a patient may pay. Government insurance plans such as Medicare and Medicaid do not pay the chargemaster rates, but rather have their own set rates which hospitals are obligated to accept. Commercial insurance payments are based on contract negotiations with managed care payors and may or may not reflect the standard charges. Patients without commercial insurance or not covered by a government health care plan should contact the hospital a (830) 825-0228 prior to a procedure to discuss charges, alternative pricing, and payment terms.
Your Right to Receive a “Good Faith Estimate”
Under the law, healthcare providers must provide patients who do not have insurance or who are not using insurance a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items and services. Please contact (830) 825-0228 to obtain a Good Faith Estimate for costs for items and/or services. Information regarding your right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” may be found here.
Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bill
When you get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from balance billing. In these case, you shouldn’t be charged more than your plan’s copayments, coinsurance and/or deductible. Information regarding your rights and protections against surprise medical bills may be found here.
Transparency in Coverage Rule
The Transparency in Coverage rule requires insurers and plans to create online consumer tools that include personalized information regarding members’ cost-sharing responsibilities for covered items and services, including prescription drugs. The online consumer tool can be found here.
The COVID-19 public health emergency ended on May 11, 2023. This means that automatic renewal of Medicaid benefits is also ending. All Medicaid members must submit a renewal application to continue receiving benefits.
If you are receiving Texas Medicaid benefits, please respond promptly to requests from Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) to avoid a lapse in your coverage. Click here for some common questions and answers about the end of automatic Medicaid renewal. Information provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
