Billing and Insurance

Patient Financial Services Center

Here you will find a simple, up-to-date summary of your account, useful answers to your billing questions, and a convenient way to view and pay your bill online.

Click here to pay your bill online

To pay your bill by phone, please call: 978-834-8300

Our Billing Policies

Patients who receive care at Anna Jaques Hospital will receive a bill from the hospital and a bill from the physician who participates in their treatment. We understand how overwhelming it can be to deal with health issues, let alone billing concerns. In addition, we understand that medical bills and insurance details can be confusing. It is our goal to make the process as easy as possible for you.

Policies and Applications

Hospital Statement

Hospital bills are based on the type of care you receive. After we provide services, we will file a claim with your insurance carrier. Your insurance company will process the claim and decide, depending on your coverage, if you owe any money. If you do owe money, or if you do not have insurance, we will mail a bill to you. The amount you owe may include insurance deductibles, non-covered services or items, co-payments, or co-insurance balances.

Payment Expectations

Account balances are to be paid within 30 days from the statement date. If you are unable to pay in full by that date, you should contact our Patient Account Department at 978-834-8300 to make payment arrangements.

If you feel you are unable to pay for all or part of the healthcare you receive from Anna Jaques Hospital, we encourage you to apply for Financial Aid through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (please refer to the income guidelines chart). Contact MassHealth at 800-408-1253 for more information on Financial Assistance. You may also contact our Financial Counseling Office at 978-463-1123 or 978-463-1134. They can assist you in filing for Financial Aid through the Commonwealth with one of the many plans available depending on your income level. Please keep in mind should you qualify for the Health Safety Net Program (formally known as Free Care) this plan will NOT COVER co-payments, ambulance charges or Home Care fees.

Greater Newburyport Emergency Physicians Bill

If you were seen at Anna Jaques' Emergency Department, you may also receive a bill from an emergency room physician. Payments or questions about this bill should be made to:

Greater Newburyport Emergency Physicians
LOGIXHealth 8 Oak Park Drive,
Bedford, MA 01730
Attn:: Client Services

Phone: (877) 438-0745 / (781) 937-4500 Fax: (781) 937-4508 or visit http://www.emergencybills.com

Beth Israel Lahey Health Price Transparency

Beth Israel Lahey Health and Anna Jaques Hospital are committed to price transparency as part of our mission to provide high-quality, affordable care while complying with Federal laws requiring clear and helpful price information be made available to the public.

When you know what you can expect to pay for common health services, you can manage your health care dollars more effectively. Beth Israel Lahey Health offers an interactive online treatment cost calculator that gives you estimates of your out-of-pocket costs for common exams, tests and procedures.

Calculator for Patients

Variation in health insurance plans and other benefits make it difficult for hospitals to provide specific cost information about more complex care without access to detailed information about a patient's health insurance coverage.

How is Pricing Information Shared?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospitals to provide clear, accessible pricing information about the items and services they provide in two ways:

Provide information about the rates negotiated with insurance companies for all services and items offered by our hospitals. This information is not an estimate of the costs that you are responsible for paying. The CMS-required hospital charge data files might not be the best tool for patients and families who are comparison shopping between hospitals and health systems for shoppable services. You can find our CMS-required hospital charge data in the treatment cost calculator. Please note: Because of the size of the files, you may need special computer software/speed to open the files.
Show shoppable services in a consumer-friendly way. CMS defines shoppable services as those that can be scheduled in advance. Hospitals are required to make available a minimum of 300 shoppable services, including a pre-set list of 72 procedures.

Beth Israel Lahey Health offers a consumer-friendly online calculator to estimate the cost of out-of-pocket expenses for common exams, procedures, and tests, including the 300 shoppable services. Patients, can access the estimates calculator by clicking here.

For more information about hospital costs, visit CompareCare, a website created by the Commonwealth for consumers to compare costs of medical procedures and quality metrics across Massachusetts.

How is the CMS-Required Hospital Charge Data File Used?

As required by the federal government (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), we publish information (comprehensive machine-readable files) about the rates negotiated with insurance companies as well as individual gross charge amounts for all services and items offered by our hospitals. These amounts are almost never billed to you or received as payment by a hospital. The amounts are billed to an insurance company, Medicare, or MassHealth. These payers then apply their reimbursement terms or contracted rates to the services billed which is why these rates are also not generally reflective of your out-of-pocket expenses. If you owe a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible, these too are most often not based on chargemaster amounts, but are based on the payment terms determined by your insurer or government program.

What isn't Included in the CMS-Required Charge Data File and Online Tool?

The CMS-Required Charge Data File for the hospitals within Beth Israel Lahey Health do not include services provided by physicians and/or other providers who are not employed by the hospital. A partial list of the healthcare providers who may bill you separately include:

Your personal physician and/or provider
The surgeon who performs your procedure
The anesthesiologist
The radiologist who reads your x-rays or other imaging studies such as an MRI or CT Scan
Other physicians and/or providers who may have been asked to provide a consultation during you time in the hospital

Are Charges the Same for Every Patient?

Yes, there is one list of charges used by the hospital. Your individual charges will vary for reasons including:

Differences in the specific services received
How long it takes to perform the service or how long it takes you to recover in the hospital
Whether the service you receive is more or less difficult than expected
The kinds of medication or supplies you require
Whether you experience complications or require additional treatment

Is Financial Assistance Available to My Family and Me?

Yes, Beth Israel Lahey Health recognizes that not all patients have the resources to pay for care they need, and we are committed to providing assistance and financial counseling. If you have limited or no insurance coverage, you may qualify for help through MassHealth, Commonwealth Care or Health Safety Net. Check our financial assistance policy below for more information.

Certain physicians are not covered under our financial assistance policies. A financial counselor can provide more information.

Financial Assistance

If you have a financial obligation to Anna Jaques Hospital, and believe you cannot afford to pay, we can assist you with the application for medical insurance through the State.

You are responsible for payment of hospital charges or amounts not paid by your insurance. If your total family income is within poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or income and resource standards established by the Massachusetts Department of Medical Security, you can complete an application for insurance. The State will make the determination as to what coverage you qualify for based on your documented information.

The above figures are subject to change by the U.S. Government. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes the final determination as to whether a patient qualifies for MassHealth, Connector Care or the Health Safety Net (HSN). The State will not make a determination until all required forms and documents are submitted.

The Health Safety Net is provided only to residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and does not cover routine or physician services. Download the AJH Credit And Collections Policy 2020

Helpful Resources

Other financial assistance is available through Commonwealth. Please feel free to contact our Financial Counseling Offices at 978-463-1123 or 978-463-1134 to assist with the completion of your application through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts online web portal. It is imperative that applications are submitted in a timely manner to cover recent hospital services.

For financial assistance programs, call 978-463-1134 or 978-463-1123 between the hours of 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

2017 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Billing FAQs

What if I cannot afford to pay the balance on my hospital bill?

Under the Anna Jaques Hospital Financial Aid Policy, financial aid is available to eligible patients who are in need (as defined by hospital policy), are residents of Massachusetts, and are receiving medically necessary services. Eligibility is based upon family income and the number of family members in the household. If you think you may be eligible for financial assistance, please contact our Financial Counseling Department at 978-463-1123 or 978-463-1134. Installment payment plans are also available by contacting our Billing Office at 978-834-8300. This policy does not apply to physicians' services or other providers who bill independently from the hospital.

I gave my insurance information at the Hospital. Why am I receiving this statement?

In some cases, we may not have been able to process information that you have furnished prior to the mailing of a statement. We apologize if your account has not been updated with the relevant information prior to the statement being mailed and ask that you contact us with the information at 978-834-8300.

The insurance or personal information shown on my statement is incorrect. How do I change it?

Click on "Contact Us" and then click on the email address billing@ajh.org and send us an email with the correct information. Your updates will be reflected in our billing system within three (3) days of receiving the information.

Where should I send my payment?

Payments should be sent to the address in the remit section of the statement. For your convenience, a return envelope has been enclosed. You may also choose to pay online. Simply log on to your on-line account and pay with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express.

Why didn't my insurance company pay in full?

Many insurance policies have a deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance amount. To confirm your responsibility under your policy, if any, please call your insurance company directly or call us at 978-834-8300.

What other bills can I expect to receive?

In addition to the hospital bill, you may receive bills from one or more of these other providers who will bill independently. They include but not limited to: emergency room physicians, pathologist, radiologist, and anesthesiologists.

When I pay online, is my payment information secure?

Yes. Please review our Privacy Policy for more information on our commitment to respecting and protecting your privacy.

Why do I receive a different account number every time I come in for services?

We assign an account number to each case so that if billing questions arise we can quickly identify the services. Your personal medical record number stays the same, and each of these account numbers is connected to your medical record. A different account number is assigned to help us track individual cases and each case is rolled up under one Medical Record number.

Surprise / Balance Billing Protection

When you get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital you are protected from balance billing (also called surprise billing). In these cases, you shouldn't be charged more than your plan's copayments, coinsurance and/or deductible. You have rights and protections against surprise medical bills.

Contact Us

To Contact Billing, please call 978-834-8300 or email us. For financial assistance, please contact the Financial Counselors at 978-463-1123 or 978-463-1134.

​Billing and Insurance