For many, submitting a medical bill and paying a provider directly as a self-pay patient is entirely new. It can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve never navigated healthcare without traditional coverage. At ShareWELL, we understand these concerns and want to assure you that our advocacy team is here to help every step of the way. In this post, we’ll walk you through what happens after you submit a medical bill so you know exactly what to expect and how we support you.
Opening a Sharing Request
Once you submit your first medical bill, you have opened a Sharing Request. This request will remain open while you continuously receive care for the related medical event. You will submit additional bills to your open Sharing Request as you receive them in the same place you opened the request.
Sharing Funds
ShareWELL can provide community funds in different methods, which you, your provider, and the type of request determine. We will choose the best method based on the kind of Sharing Request, provider preference, and member preference. This part of the process will be new to those who have never been self-pay patients. The result can be empowering to make payments to providers and understand directly that all their bills have been paid.
Sharing Methods Include:
- An Instant Debit Card– Prepayment, at-the-time-of-service-payment, or aftercare payment.
- ACH Transfer- Reimbursement
- Online Payment Portal– Prepayment or aftercare payment.
Self-Pay Patient
Always present yourself as a self-pay patient and submit bills in a timely manner. Keep an eye out for email requests from ShareWELL, as we may ask for signed HIPAA forms, medical records authorizations, or your preference on how funds are to be shared with you. As a self-pay patient, ShareWELL will help you understand the self-pay patient tools that you have available for negotiation and fair billing.
Negotiating Bills
Managing medical bills doesn’t have to be difficult—ShareWELL is here to guide and support you through every step. Here’s how we help:
- Explore Self-Pay Resources: We research all available self-pay options, including those based on your income and household size. To determine eligibility, we may ask about your gross income.
- Bill Audits: Our team carefully reviews each bill to identify errors, duplicate charges, or inflated costs.
- Attorney-Led Negotiations: When needed, we engage experienced attorneys to negotiate with providers on your behalf for fair pricing.
- Member Participation: Your involvement—like contacting providers, completing forms, or sharing required documents—helps us act quickly and effectively.
We work with you to ensure you only pay what’s fair for your healthcare.
Support from the Advocacy Team
Our advocacy team supports you by bridging communications, recommending facilities and providers, ensuring a fair service cost, and answering any questions you have about navigating healthcare as a self-pay patient. This part of being a ShareWELL member shows the importance and difference of having someone in your corner when navigating healthcare becomes complex.