St. Jude's Financial Navigation: Understanding Insurance Billing And Family Support

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, especially cancer. The hospital promises that families will never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food. However, ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom, has revealed that while St. Jude does not send bills to families, it does not cover all the expenses incurred during a child's treatment. The hospital covers the costs of treatment, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, and bills the patient's health insurance plan or third-party payer if applicable. St. Jude also provides urgent care services without billing or pursuing payment from patients.

St. Jude bills insurance companies, not patients

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, with the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". The hospital's mission is to find cures for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, regardless of race, ethnicity, beliefs, or a family's ability to pay.

St. Jude does not send bills to its patients for treatment, travel, housing, or food. Instead, the hospital bills patients' health insurance plans or third-party payers if they have insurance. For those without insurance, St. Jude covers all costs, including treatments, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. The hospital takes no action to collect payments from patients or their families and does not report to credit agencies.

The majority of St. Jude's funding comes from generous donors, with an estimated 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow the hospital coming from donations. This unique operating model allows St. Jude to free families from the financial burden of life-saving healthcare, ensuring that individuals are cared for regardless of their ability to pay.

While St. Jude does not send bills to patients, it does have a financial assistance policy that complies with federal law, specifically the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and applicable regulations. This policy ensures that all individuals accepted as patients are eligible for financial assistance and will not be billed or pursued for payment. St. Jude covers all treatments, copays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing obligations that may not be covered by insurance.

In summary, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is committed to providing financial assistance to its patients and ensuring that they do not receive bills for their medical care. The hospital bills insurance companies or third-party payers if available, but the patients themselves are never held financially responsible. This approach allows families to focus on their child's health and well-being without the added stress of medical bills.

Families don't pay for treatment, travel, housing or food

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that "no child should die in the dawn of life". The hospital's mission is to find cures for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, regardless of race, ethnicity, beliefs, or a family's ability to pay.

St. Jude is unique in that it does not send bills to families for treatment, travel, housing, or food. This means that families can focus on helping their child get well without worrying about financial burdens. The hospital accepts insurance and will bill the patient's health insurance plan or third-party payer if applicable. However, as a research hospital, many of the treatments and services provided are not covered by insurance.

The majority of St. Jude's funding comes from generous donors, with an estimated 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow the hospital coming from donations. The hospital covers all treatments, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, and any other cost-sharing obligations that are not covered by insurance. This ensures that families do not have to worry about financial strain during their child's treatment.

In addition to financial assistance, St. Jude also provides travel and housing for patients and their families, a daily food credit, an on-site school, psychosocial help, and concierge services. These comprehensive support services ensure that families can focus on their child's health and well-being during their time at St. Jude.

The hospital's financial assistance policy is in compliance with federal law, specifically the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and applicable regulations. This policy ensures that all individuals are cared for at St. Jude, regardless of their ability to pay, and that no family receives a bill for their child's treatment and related expenses.

St. Jude covers copays, deductibles, and coinsurance

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas, who had made a promise to St. Jude Thaddeus years earlier that if the saint helped him find success, he would build a shrine in his name. Thomas' promise resulted in the founding of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which does not send bills to its patients.

St. Jude's financial assistance policy is in compliance with federal law, specifically the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). This policy ensures that individuals are cared for regardless of their ability to pay, and all patients are eligible to participate in the hospital's financial assistance program. St. Jude's policy applies to all departments and divisions that provide services to patients.

In addition to covering copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, St. Jude also provides urgent care services to its patients without billing or pursuing payment. The hospital also covers the cost of transportation, housing, and food for patients and their families.

The majority of St. Jude's funding comes from generous donors, with an estimated 89% of the funds needed to sustain and grow the hospital coming from donations. This allows St. Jude to provide financial assistance to its patients and ensure that they can focus on their child's health without worrying about financial burdens.

St. Jude does not provide emergency medical care

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not provide emergency medical care. The hospital does not have an Emergency Department, so it does not treat emergency medical conditions within the meaning of EMTALA (42 U.S.C. §1395dd). However, St. Jude provides urgent care to its patients as needed on a nondiscriminatory basis and does not bill or pursue payment from patients for these services.

St. Jude is a specialty research hospital for children, not a general children's hospital. It focuses on providing exceptional care to patients with pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases. The hospital accepts patients based on having a disease that it treats and studies and potential eligibility for an open clinical trial. St. Jude treats patients up to the age of 21, and for some conditions, up to the age of 25.

The hospital covers all treatments, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, as well as any other cost-sharing obligations that are not covered by insurance. St. Jude does not send bills to patients or their families and takes no action to collect payment from them. Instead, it bills the patient's health insurance plan or a third-party payer if applicable.

While St. Jude does not provide emergency medical care, it offers urgent care services in the St. Jude Medicine Room, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. The services provided include chemotherapy, blood products, and treatment for central line problems, fever, or other acute illnesses and injuries related to the catastrophic diseases treated at the hospital. If a patient requires transport to a facility with an emergency department, St. Jude will arrange it and bill the patient's insurance or third-party payer if coverage exists. The hospital covers all treatments, copays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing obligations not covered by insurance.

St. Jude's approach to patient care reflects its commitment to freeing families from the financial burden of life-saving healthcare. The hospital's supporters and donors make it possible for families to receive treatment without worrying about medical bills, allowing them to focus on their child's health and well-being.

St. Jude is a research hospital, so many treatments are not covered by insurance

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that \"no child should die in the dawn of life". The hospital's mission is to find cures for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases, regardless of race, ethnicity, beliefs, or a family's ability to pay.

St. Jude accepts insurance and will bill a patient's health insurance plan or third-party payer if they have one. However, as a research hospital, many of the treatments and services provided by St. Jude are not covered by insurance. To ensure that all patients can receive care, regardless of their ability to pay, St. Jude relies heavily on donations and funding from generous supporters and donors. In fact, it is estimated that 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow St. Jude must come from donors.

While St. Jude does bill insurance companies, families never receive bills for treatment, travel, housing, or food. The hospital covers all treatments, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance, as well as any other cost-sharing obligations that are not covered by insurance. This allows families to focus on helping their children get better without the added stress of financial burden.

In addition to insurance recoveries, St. Jude also receives funding from government grants and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC). ALSAC is a semi-independent entity founded in 1957 by Danny Thomas, primarily to raise funds and promote awareness for St. Jude. The majority of St. Jude's funding comes from ALSAC and other donors, with only a small portion coming from insurance recoveries.

St. Jude's financial assistance policy ensures that all individuals are cared for, regardless of their ability to pay. The hospital is committed to complying with federal law, specifically the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and providing financial assistance to those who need it. This policy applies to all departments and divisions that provide services to patients.

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