Pricing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Price transparency means we’re providing you with information to help you make meaningful and informed decisions about your health care choices, including any potential financial responsibilities and out-of-pocket costs.

Good faith price estimates from Memorial Hermann include the estimated charges for room and board (for inpatients), supplies, nursing care and nutritional services. Estimates also include any services provided by the hospital staff within the walls of the hospital, and the outpatient hospital departments, including, but not limited to outpatient imaging centers or any of our sports medicine and rehabilitation locations.

Additionally, if your personal physician or other physicians provide you with services related to your hospital stay or outpatient service, those services will be billed separately. This can include fees related to specialists, anesthesiologists, pathologists and radiologists.

If your personal physician or other physicians provide you with services related to your hospital stay or outpatient service, those services will be billed separately. This can include fees related to specialists, anesthesiologists, or interpretation by pathologists and radiologists for any diagnostic labs or imaging ordered by your physician.

We reviewed information from the most recent calendar year to determine the services that were provided to a patient with an inpatient hospital stay or a patient receiving an outpatient service.

Price estimates at our Central Pricing Office and on our website will be updated annually.

If you have insurance coverage to cover a portion of your health care costs, you are an “insured” patient. Health insurance coverage can be complex and determining what’s covered by your plan can be confusing. If you need help determining which services are covered and which services may be out-of-pocket, we can help. Contact one of our financial counselors at our Central Pricing Office at (832) 658-6455.

“Uninsured” means you do not have any health insurance coverage to cover your health care costs by a third party like Medicare, Medicaid, Health Exchange Plan or Workers Compensation. It is common to refer to an uninsured patient as "Self-Pay."

When you call the Central Pricing Office, please try to have the following information available so we can provide you with our best estimate of any out-of-pocket costs and financial responsibility:

• Description of services. Contact your physician's office ahead-of-time to get a description of the specific services needed. If your physician gave you an order, please have it available.
• Inpatient/outpatient status. Is your physician admitting you to the hospital to stay as an inpatient overnight, or are you expected to be treated as an outpatient and go home the same day?
• Name of your physician/specialist. For example, if you are having surgery, we will need to know the surgeon's name.
• Type of insurance. If you have insurance, review your insurance coverage or contact your insurance company to make sure the services required are "covered services" under your specific plan. If they are not covered, you’ll be considered "uninsured" for these services. Also, you will need to have the following available when you call:
  • Your insurance card. If needed, we may ask for the following information from you: the name of your insurance company, the type of policy (e.g. HMO, PPO, POS, Indemnity), the policyholder's name, the group name and number, the policy number and the insurance company’s phone number.
  • The policyholder's personal information. It’s possible the insurance company will want us to verify the Date of Birth of the person who is named as the primary insurance policyholder and other information.

Price estimates are not guaranteed and are good faith estimates based on the average cost for a specific procedure. During the course of a treatment or procedure, you might require additional intervention by the physician based on your medical needs. If this happens, there could be additional cost beyond your original estimate

Please call the Central Pricing Office at (832) 658-6455, and we will work with you to provide a price estimate.

If you are insured, we will send a claim to your insurance company for payment for the facility portion of the care you received. Services provided by physicians will be billed separate and apart from facility services received. After they receive the facility claim, the insurance company may contact you for additional information. Please respond to your insurance company's questions as quickly as possible, as it usually takes 30-60 days for them to process and pay your claim. After we receive their payment, we will provide you with information about any remaining balance due.

Please keep in mind that your policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. If you do not follow the insurance plan's terms, or your policy includes specific coverage exclusions, all or part of your care may not be covered.

Memorial Hermann Health System has a Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) to provide financial assistance to patients in need. The purpose of our FAP is to provide the framework under which financial assistance will be granted to patients receiving care provided by Memorial Hermann. The FAP applies to all emergency or medically necessary care provided by Memorial Hermann. The FAP is not binding upon providers of medical services outside of the hospital and does not apply to services delivered by the affiliated physicians.

You can access Financial Assistance applications on Memorial Hermann’s website on the Financial Assistance Program page. You can also request a free paper copy of these documents in the Emergency Center and Registration Areas.