Our billed charges are based on the hospital's costs to provide services. These costs include:
- Nursing and hospital staff (labor)
- 24-hour services such as emergency room and laboratory testing
- Medical supplies
- Pharmaceuticals and drugs
- Medical equipment and new technology
- Hospital buildings (facility)
- Patient dietary and laundry services
- Hospital utilities
In addition, our charges include the hospital's costs related to our financial commitments, our mission to serve the community and our overall mix of health services.
Inpatient charges are normally higher than outpatient charges because procedures that are performed on an outpatient basis are generally less complex than those that require an inpatient stay. For example, patients with potential risk factors generally have the procedure performed as an inpatient rather than outpatient. As expected, the inpatient setting brings with it additional costs and the patients in this setting generally require more services.
Pharmacy/Drugs
The cost of obtaining drugs/pharmaceuticals changes often due to the ongoing fluctuations in the prices of drugs. As you've heard in the press, there are new items approved by the FDA every day, as well as brand name drugs changing to generics. The hospital's pharmacy drug prices are tied to a published quarterly Average Wholesale Price (AWP) listing and will fluctuate up and down.
New Technology
The hospital spends millions of dollars each year to purchase and lease new technology and equipment, as well as upgrade its existing equipment to the latest standards. New technologies are approved for hospital use by the FDA and Federal regulatory agencies all the time. This new technology often has a limited lifespan as newer more advanced technology becomes available. In addition, there are the costs to install, train, and certify staff on the proper use and handling of the equipment.
Room and Board Example
The hospital bill includes your room, 24-hour nursing, access to pharmacy and emergency care, meals and support services. Support services may include housekeeping, nutritional counseling, spiritual care, social services, admitting and financial counseling, security, patient financial services, building maintenance plus many other departments that support your care during your hospitalization.
Bed Example
Your room assignment is based upon your admitting diagnosis, which is determined by your physician.Your physician will decide if you require a semi-private room (2 patients in a room), a private room (1 patient in a room), or a critical care bed, which requires intensive care.
Patient Financial Assistance
At St. Joseph Hospital, we are proud of our mission to provide quality care to all our patients, regardless of their ability to pay. If you feel that you are unable to pay for your medical care, you may be eligible for our Patient Financial Assistance Program. This program provides free or discounted services to eligible patients.