Pricing Information
Understanding Hospital Charge Information
The amount that a hospital bills for patient care is known as the charge amount. This is not the same as the actual cost or amount paid for the care. The amount collected by a hospital for each service is almost always less than the amount billed. If you would like a more accurate estimate of the charges for which you will be responsible, please contact our Financial Counselor in the Business Office.
Are Charges the Same for Every Patient?
Because each case is different based on the patient's medical condition, a given patient's charge amount will not necessarily be the same as another patient. If two patients have the same service or procedure but one is healthy, and one has a chronic illness, it is likely that the patient with the chronic illness would need more intensive care thus creating a bill with higher charges than the healthy patient's bill.
The amount you are responsible for also depends on your insurance coverage. We negotiate discounted rates with insurance companies and if yours is in network with our hospital, you will be responsible for a lower amount than someone with out of network coverage or no insurance.
Patients with no insurance or with financial difficulty, may receive discounted rates based on their income. Our Financial Counselor will work with you to determine those discounts. You can view information about our Financial Assistance Policy
here.
Additional Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Requirements for Hospitals To Make Public a List of Their Standard Charges via the Internet
Q. Are Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals required to make public a list of their standard charges via the Internet?
A. Yes, this requirement applies to all hospitals operating within the United States.
Q. Are Critical Access Hospitals and Sole Community Hospitals required to make public a list of their standard charges via the Internet?
A. Yes, this requirement applies to all hospitals operating within the United States.
Q. Do the requirements apply to drugs and biologicals?
A. Yes, the current requirements apply to all items and services provided by the hospital.
Q. Is a hospital required to post its standard charges for drugs, biologicals, or other items and services that it provides if those standard charges are not reflected in its chargemaster?
A. Yes, it is the responsibility of the hospital to establish (and update) and make public a list of the hospital's standard charges for all items and services provided by the hospital, including all drugs, biologicals, and all other items and services provided by the hospital.
CMS encourages hospitals to undertake efforts to engage in consumer friendly communication of their charges, including for drugs and biologicals, to help patients understand what their potential financial liability might be for services they obtain at the hospital, and to enable patients to compare charges for similar services across hospitals. A hospital is not precluded from posting additional price transparency information in addition to its current standard charges.
Q. In addition to establishing (and updating) and making public a list of the hospital's standard charges for all items and services provided by the hospital, what hospitals are required to establish (and update) and make public a list of their standard charges for each diagnosis-related group established under section 1886(d)(4) of the Social Security Act?
A. All hospitals operating within the United States are required establish (and update) and make public a list of their standard charges for all items and services provided by the hospital. Under current guidelines, subsection (d) hospitals are additionally required to establish (and update) and make public a list of their standard charges for each diagnosis-related group established under section 1886(d)(4) of the Social Security Act.
The format for standard charges for each diagnosis-related group is the hospital's choice. CMS posts information regarding inpatient charges for subsection (d) hospitals at
https://www.cms.gov/ResearchStatistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-ChargeData/Inpatient.html. Subsection (d) hospitals may, but are not required to, use this format with respect to the additional requirement that the hospital establish (and update) and make public a list of the hospital's standard charges for each diagnosis-related group established under section 1886(d)(4) of the Social Security Act.
Q. Why isn't a PDF considered machine readable?
A. We have defined a machine readable format as a digitally accessible document that includes only formats that can be easily imported/read into a computer system (e.g., XML, CSV). A PDF does not satisfy this definition because although it is a digitally accessible document, it cannot be easily imported/read into a computer system.
Q. What happens if a hospital does not make public a list of its standard charges via the Internet?
A. The hospital will not be in compliance with the law. In the FY 2019 IPPS/LTCH proposed rule (83 FR 20549), CMS sought comment on the most appropriate mechanism for CMS to enforce price transparency requirements. As indicated in the FY 2019 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule (83 FR 41686), specific additional future enforcement or other actions that we may take with the guidelines will be addressed in future rulemaking.
Standard Charges
Updated 8/04/2021
The standard charges machine readable file contains proprietary information of Donalsonville Hospital, Inc. and is provided in compliance with 45 CFR §180.20 for sole use by yourself or your agents, as healthcare consumers, to make comparisons across hospitals for your potential out of pocket costs and expenses related to the delivery of healthcare services.
Any cost share amounts that you may incur will be determined by your insurance coverage benefits and exclusions. A standard charge in no way guarantees payment by any insurer.
Access to use this information is being granted to patients in accordance with federal laws. Any use not authorized herein is prohibited, including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, making copies of standard charges for resale and/or license, creating any modified or derivative work of standard charges, or making any commercial use of standard charges, or using the charges in an anti-competitive activity that is prohibited by state or federal laws.
By accessing the files, you understand that you should only use it for the purposes defined by the federal Price Transparency laws and not to remove, reverse engineer, alter or modify the information without the consent of the Hospital.
Important Information Regarding Website Content
This cost estimation site may not represent all procedures offered by Donalsonville Hospital. For any question about services provided, please contact Donalsonville Hospital at 229-524-5217.
Nothing on this site guarantees eligibility, coverage, or payment, or determines or guarantees the benefits, limitations or exclusions of your coverage. For a complete description of the details of your coverage, please refer to your coverage information from your healthcare insurance carrier.
Please keep in mind, the costs provided in this tool are estimates only and are not a guarantee of payment or benefits. The estimates are based on the
selected provider's contract rates/fee schedule with your insurance carrier. Your actual cost may be higher or lower than the estimate for various reasons. You
will be responsible for the cost of procedures or services not covered by your insurance plan.
