Billing and Payment

Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a non-profit hospital and depends upon prompt payments by our patients and their health insurance companies. In this way, we can provide the best health care possible.

Health Insurance

If your health insurance company requires pre-certification, you are responsible to obtain this before admission.

If you have health insurance, please give us your insurance identification card during admission. Payments from the health insurance company will be made directly to the hospital. Saint Peter’s will bill your health insurance company after we confirm that your policy is active and that benefits can be paid directly to the hospital.

If you do not provide us with accurate, current information, we will be unable to bill your health insurance company. Therefore, you will be required to pay, prior to your admission, an estimated amount based on the scheduled services.

If you have health insurance that does not cover the complete cost of your care, you will be required to pay the difference prior to admission and before you receive the scheduled services.

If your health insurance requires co-payments and/or deductibles, you will be required to pay these amounts prior to admission and before you receive the scheduled services.

If you do not have health insurance, you will be required to pay 50 percent of the estimated final amount due. A statement showing the remaining balance due will be mailed to you. If needed, you can make monthly payments. Please call our Patient Accounts Department at 732-745-8550 about this option.

Click here to access the list of healthcare plans in which Saint Peter's participates.

Billing and Payment

You are responsible for paying your hospital bill. Please remember that your hospitalization coverage is a contract between you and your health insurance company. If you have health insurance coverage, Saint Peter’s will bill your health insurance company. We will contact your health insurance company if there is any problem in processing the claim. However, if we do not receive payment from them in about 45 days, we will contact you for payment. You may then seek a refund from your health insurance company.

Please keep in mind that your hospital bill includes fees for the use of the hospital and equipment, as well as the time of the hospital personnel. Your hospital bill does not include the fees of your physician(s) such as radiologists, anesthesiologists, pathologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists and emergency medicine physicians. You or your health insurance company will be billed separately by the physician(s) for these fees.

Also note that your hospital will include charges for personal items such as guest meals, the private room charge, etc. These charges must be paid upon discharge (and are not eligible for health insurance reimbursement). If you and/or your family have any questions concerning your hospital bill, please contact a billing service representative in our Patient Accounts Department at 732-745-8550.

If there are financial difficulties that make the deposit or full payment impossible, please contact our Resource Services Department at 732‑745‑8600, extension 5019 as soon as possible. Together, we can develop a payment schedule or determine if you qualify for New Jersey Medicaid, New Jersey Charity Care, or Saint Peter’s Compassionate Billing Rate.

Online Payment

You may pay your bill online by enrolling with Saint Peter’s on its Patient Portal. A link is shown to the right. Once you have enrolled in this free service, you will be able to use your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express to pay your bill through our Online Business Office and you will have access to your account information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Make changes to your personal information or view recent insurance payments by signing into your account when it is most convenient for you. It’s simple and secure.

New Jersey Charity Care

Under the State of New Jersey’s Charity Care Program, Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides free care or care for reduced charges to a patient who qualifies, regardless of race, age, religion, national origin, gender or any other grounds unrelated to the patient’s need for service. To get a list of required documents to complete a Charity Care application, please contact financial counselors in our Resource Services Department at 732-745-8600, extension 5019.

When all of your documents are gathered, contact our financial counselors to schedule an appointment. Financial counselors can meet with you Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Limited weekend appointments are also available. In-person or telephone interpreters are available for anyone speaking a language other than English. If you do not qualify for free care or reduced charges and believe a decision error was made, you may submit an appeal by writing to:

Manager of Resource Services Saint Peter’s University Hospital 254 Easton Avenue New Brunswick, NJ 08901

More information is available at Financial Assistance Program.

Ambulance Charges

During your stay at Saint Peter’s, there may be times when your physician will want to send you to another facility, either for special tests, procedures and/or evaluations. This will require transportation by an ambulance. If you are discharged and use the ambulance for transportation to your home or to another hospital, this one-way transportation will be billed directly by the ambulance company to your health insurance company. You will be responsible for any fees your insurance company does not cover.

Medical Necessity

Saint Peter’s University Hospital is required to comply with state and federal laws, which state that hospital admissions are subject to review by the Quality Improvement Organization. This program represents the efforts of local physicians working together to ensure that your admission and continued stay in the hospital are medically necessary and that the quality of services provided to you meet professionally recognized standards of care.

Your health insurance company may also review the medical necessity for your hospitalization and authorize benefits based on your coverage.

If it is determined that your condition does not require inpatient acute hospital care, you may receive a written notice. If this occurs, your health insurance company will discontinue payment for hospital services on the effective date stated in the notice. Any hospital stay beyond the notification letter will not be covered by health insurance, and you will be financially responsible for any additional time in the hospital. Be assured that a decision regarding termination of benefits will be made only after a conference between your doctor and a physician advisor.

Early planning for discharge is beneficial for you and your family. It can help prevent a denial of health insurance coverage. Saint Peter’s Care Coordination staff, working with you, your family and your physician, can assist by arranging a plan of care to meet your needs after you leave the hospital.