Billing FAQ
Duanesburg Ambulance is required to bill patient’s health insurance for all professional services provided. In some instances, understanding your insurance policy and the benefit(s) associated with your plan can be confusing. As the Duanesburg Ambulance Finance Chairman, I am available to assist you with any questions or concerns you have with a bill / invoice you may have received.
Shown below are common questions or concerns that patients have that I would like to share with you.
I. We received a bill from a company by the name of Cornerstone on behalf of Duanesburg Ambulance located in New Cumberland PA 17070. We thought this a scam and threw it away.
Answer: I can see why one would think it was a scam receiving a bill from a company out of Pennsylvania while it was Duanesburg Ambulance that provided the care. This is not a scam. Cornerstone is our ambulance billing company.
II. What is meant by Private Insurance?
Answer: They are those insurances except for Medicare and Medicaid. Examples would be CDPHP, MVP, United Health Care, Empire (State Employees), No Fault, Worker’s Compensation, etc.
III. Does Medicare or a Medicare Product, (example CDPHP Advantage) cover ambulance services?
The answer is yes:
Medicare Part B: Medicare pays 80% of defined charges and the remaining 20% balance is the patient’s responsibility. If you have a secondary insurance, (i.e. AARP), the remaining balance will be sent to that insurance carrier for payment.
Medicare Advantage (also known as Part C). Example of one would be the CDPHP Medicare Advantage: These type plans are Medicare-approved plans from a private insurance company that offers an alternative to “Original Medicare” for your health and drug coverage.
IV. What do I do if my insurance company sends me a check directly for the ambulance services provided?
Answer: When receiving check and / or payments directly from your insurance company, arrangements need to made with the Finance Chairman financechair@duanesburgambulance.org for the next steps. Arrangements need to be made so those funds are applied to your outstanding balance to ensure you no longer receive a bill.
V. Are there copayments for ambulance service?
Answer: Yes, depending on your insurance. Many insurances have co-payments associated with their plans and need to be paid as part of the plan purchased.
VI. I loaned my car to my neighbor so she and her two friends could go the lunch. On the way, a car fails to stop at the stop sign and stuck my car. All three were transported to the hospital for treatments. My question is, would each passenger submit a claim to their own auto insurance company or to the auto insurance of my neighbor who was driving?
Answer: Neither. The responsible person is whomever the car is registered to. It is the car that is insured. When you registered a vehicle, you had to provide an insurance card that displays the vehicle identification number. All three claims would be billed to the registered owner’s no-fault insurance carrier.
VII. In the event Duanesburg Ambulance responds to our/my home and the patient declines being transported to the hospital, will there be a bill?
Answer: Yes, there will be bill associated with that incident, which will be a minimal charge. Our staff responding to that call will request to gather all the patient’s insurance information to expedite the billing process.
I fully understand that having an outstanding balance can be stressful. I would like to offer a couple of options to you.
● If you would like to pay by debit or credit, I can process that for you at the Duanesburg Ambulance building right into your account as I have access to the Cornerstone System.
● A payment plan can be established for you, whereby you select the amount of a monthly payment and what time of the month is best for you.
In closing, I want to reassure you that I am available to provide any assistance in processing your claim and answering your questions. I will meet with you in person either at the Duanesburg Ambulance building or your home, whichever is the most convenient for you. Please feel free to suggest a payment plan that would fit your financial needs. To schedule an appointment, please contact our Office Manager, Janice Vunk at (518) 631-5584 or email: Treasurer@duanesburgambulance.org.
Finance Chair
Eric Unser