Billing frequently asked questions

What you need to know about insurance billing

A recent nationwide cyberattack targeted Change Healthcare, a company that supports insurance verification. This cyberattack has affected our insurance billing abilities. We do not have a timeline for when services will be restored. Read how we’re addressing this issue and what you need to know as a patient.

General questions

There are two ways to securely view and pay your bills online:

  1. Visit pay.allinahealth.org and enter your Bill ID code and date of birth. Your Bill ID is a 12-digit number in the upper right corner of your paper statement. If you don’t know your Bill ID, click “Find Your Account” and follow the instructions for next steps. Additionally, if you received electronic bill notifications via text message and/or email, click on the link in the message to directly access your account. Note: If your statement carries a myEasyMatch code instead of a Bill ID code, visit allinahealth.org/paybill to locate it and pay online.

  2. Log in to your Allina Health account mobile app and select “Manage and pay bills” from the “My care” tab. Note: If your statement carries a myEasyMatch code instead of a Bill ID code, please visit allinahealth.org/paybill to locate it and pay online.
Your Bill ID is a 12-digit number that can be found at the upper right corner of your paper statement and at the top of the electronic bill notifications you may have received via email.

There will be a delay between the date of your visit and the date your bill is ready to view as we wait for a response from your insurance company, if applicable. We will promptly alert you when your bill is ready via a paper statement and possibly text messages and/or emails, depending on your notification preferences. 

Allina Health gives you several ways to pay bills, including:

  • Visiting pay.allinahealth.org, retrieving your account and following the payment instructions. If your statement that carries a myEasyMatch code, please visit allinahealth.org/paybill to locate it and pay online.
  • Clicking the link displayed in text message and/or email notifications and following the payment instructions.
  • Scanning the QR code printed on your paper statement using your mobile device camera and following the payment instructions.
  • Submitting your payment information over the phone by calling 612-262-9000 and selecting option 1 to make a payment.
  • Mailing us a check or money order along with the payment slip that is included with your paper statement.

Allina Health accepts payment via credit or debit cards, electronic check payments (ACH), Apple Pay, Google Pay, checks and money orders. Please don’t send cash by mail.

We offer flexible payment options. Visit pay.allinahealth.org to:

  • Set up a custom payment plan by selecting the payment frequency, duration and date of first payment.
  • Make a partial payment by entering the amount that you wish to pay today. Note: You are still responsible for payment the total balance by the payment due date.

Additionally, you can call us at 612-262-9000 or 1-800-859-5077.

Access your account at pay.allinahealth.org and go to “My Account.” Click on the circle with your initials at the top right corner of the page. There you can view the contact information we have on file for you and change your bill notification settings. If you don’t see your mobile phone number and/or email address listed, or if any of your contact information is incorrect, please call 612-262-9000 to add or update it.

It’s our top priority to protect the security of your personal and financial information. Your online payment instructions are sent over a secure internet connection with industry standard encryption (SSL) and electronic payments are sent through a payment processor with guaranteed protection against unauthorized transactions. Allina Health and agents acting on our behalf will never share your personal information with anybody else. 

Clinic bills

Clinic staff members do not know whether a service will be covered. Coverage varies with each insurance company. Please refer to your insurance member handbook or call your insurance company with any questions about your benefits and services covered under your plan.

 

If your insurance card indicates copay is required, we'll ask you to pay it when you check in for your appointment. Allina Health accepts cash, checks, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express and debit cards for in-person transactions.

Payments can be made online, over the telephone or by mail. Allina accepts Visa, Discover, MasterCard, American Express credit cards. Below are the payment options offered by Allina Health:

  • Payment Plans: You may set up a monthly payment plan of up to 12 months as long as the minimum monthly payment is at least $30. There is no interest or fee applied to this option.
  • MedCredit Financial Services offers a financing option for your medical expenses. The annual percentage rate (APR) starts at 5% but decreases to as little as 2% if your balance grows. Advantages of opening a MedCredit account include immediate financial approval, no credit application, no annual fees or dues, and convenient monthly payments. Applications are available in your clinic or by calling Patient Financial Services at 612-262-9000612-262-9000, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Allina Health Partners Care Program was developed to ensure that everyone has access to health care services. This program is available to established Allina Health patients and their family members who meet certain financial guidelines. Ask your clinic representative for a brochure and application or call us at 612-262-9000612-262-9000 or 1-800-859-50771-800-859-5077.

Learn more about our financial assistance services.

If your insurance information was provided when you registered, you will not receive a bill until your insurance company has:

  • denied the claim
  • paid the claim and there is a co-insurance, deductible, or non-covered service that you are responsible for paying
  • not responded to the claim
  • determined your coverage is not valid or cannot be verified for the date the services were provided

Payment is due by the date indicated on your billing statement.

 

Each service a patient receives during an office visit has American Medical Association codes associated with it:

  • CPT (current procedural terminology) codes identify the services performed and the reason they were performed.
  • ICD-10 (international classification of diseases) codes specify the diagnosis associated with your visit.

We include these codes in the claim for your visit to inform your insurer of the services we provided and the reason they were provided.

Federal law requires appropriate, accurate coding. Coding must reflect what happens during your medical visit and match what is recorded in your medical record.

When denied coverage, people sometimes are told that they would have been reimbursed for a specific procedure if another code had been used. However, it's illegal to change codes just to obtain reimbursement. That's why it's important to understand your coverage so you aren’t caught by surprise if a service is not covered.

 

Yes. To make sure we have the right billing information, we will ask to see your insurance card at every visit. We also will ask you to verify your name, address and employer.

If your claim is for a work-related injury or motor vehicle accident, you will need to provide all the necessary information so we may bill the liability insurer. If all insurance information is not available or not provided to us, the account will be billed directly to you.

Please remember that you are ultimately responsible for the charges on your account for treatment you received. Allina Health does not get involved in liability disputes.

Health maintenance and well-child exams

These services are usually part of an annual physical or adult health maintenance exam:

  • review of your complete medical history, including allergies, drug reactions and immunizations
  • physical exam, including a pelvic exam for women
  • medicine review
  • weight, height, blood pressure and pulse

Your health care provider may ask about your tobacco and alcohol use. You may also discuss health topics like weight control and exercise.

Your provider may recommend additional services based on your age and gender, such as lab tests, medical imaging and/or immunizations. Please check with your insurance provider about coverage for these services.

You may have other issues you want to discuss at your adult health maintenance exam. These services may not be considered part of your physical and therefore may require an additional charge:

  • new health concerns
  • current conditions that need further evaluation and/or new treatment

Coverage for preventive services varies among insurers. To determine your coverage, check your health insurance policy and contact your insurance company with any questions.

Medicare may pay for certain cancer screening tests, as well as diabetes monitoring and self-management. For more details, visit the preventive services section of Medicare's website

We are concerned that you receive the care you need, regardless of your insurance coverage. Because there are so many types of insurance plans, we usually cannot tell you what is or is not covered by your insurance plan. We encourage you to contact your insurance company with questions about your benefits.

If you are a Medicare patient, you may be asked to sign an advance beneficiary notice (ABN). By reading and signing this form, you agree to pay for the service if your insurance company denies coverage.

Because your health care is your doctor's primary concern, your doctor will be happy to address any additional concerns.

If the doctor needs to provide additional treatment or information about your additional concern, you may receive an additional charge. Here's why: Insurance carriers require accurate reporting from doctors when preventive care and additional problems are addressed during the same visit. While you may be taking care of two health care concerns at one time, your insurer may see it as having two office visits in one and assess your benefits accordingly.

Hospital bills

There are so many different types of insurance plans; we can't tell you whether you need prior approval or notification for your hospital stay. We encourage you to contact your insurance company or your employer with questions about what is or is not covered or if prior approval or notification is required by your insurance plan.

Yes. We'll need the information on your insurance card to file a claim with your insurance company.

When you register for your hospital stay, we'll ask for information about your insurance coverage and ask you to sign a few forms. This process goes much faster when you bring your insurance information with you.

Yes.
Yes. As a courtesy we will bill your insurance company. It is your responsibility to provide any insurance information that we request, such as an explanation of benefits, claim form or accident information.
You will receive an explanation of benefits from your insurance company after it has paid its portion of your hospital bill. Once Allina Health receives a copy of the explanation of benefits from your insurer, we'll send you a statement of account. This statement indicates the amount that has been paid and any balance you are required to pay.

When you call your insurance company about a claim, be sure to do the following:

  • Have your insurance card, date of service, facility name, original billed amount and patient name available, as well as your claim number, if applicable.
  • If the bill has been paid, ask when and to whom. Note this information and whom you talked to at the insurance company.
  • If the bill has not been paid, find out when the anticipated time frame of payment is, and ask if they need anything from you. You may need to contact the clinic or the hospital's medical records department.
  • If the bill isn't paid within the stated time frame, call the insurance company again and, if necessary, ask to speak with a supervisor.
You will not receive a bill until after your health insurance company has paid or denied the claim related to your care. If you gave us insurance information when you registered for your stay, the first bill you receive will indicate what your insurance has paid and what your balance is after all insurance payments.

Payments can be made online, over the telephone or by mail. Allina Health accepts Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. Below are the payment options offered by Allina Health:

  • Payment plans: You may set up a monthly payment plan of up to 12 months as long as the minimum monthly payment is at least $30.00. There is no interest or fee applied to this option.
  • MedCredit Financial Services offers a financing option for your medical expenses. The annual percentage rate (APR) starts at 5% but decreases to as little as 2% if your balance grows. Advantages of opening a MedCredit account include immediate financial approval, no credit application, no annual fees or dues, and convenient monthly payments. To open a MedCredit account, complete the online application or call Patient Financial Services at 612-262-9000, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • The Allina Health Partners Care Program is available to established Allina Health patients and their family members who meet certain financial guidelines. Ask your clinic representative for a brochure and application or call us at 612-262-9000 or 1-800-859-5077.

Extra bills are usually for services done at the hospital by different medical professionals. For example, if you received anesthesia during your hospital stay, you may receive a separate bill from the anesthesiologist.

If you have questions about a specific bill, please call the phone number listed on that bill.