Insurance and billing

Medical insurance and billing can be confusing. Our goal is to help you understand the insurance and billing process for CyberKnife treatment at the Seattle CyberKnife Center. If you have questions, please call 206-320-7130. We'll be happy to help you get the assistance you need.

• Insurance
• Financial assistance
• Cash Payments in advance
• Types of bills
• Billing process for patients with insurance
• Billing process for patients without insurance

Insurance

Coverage verification and pre-authorization:

After you and your physician determine CyberKnife treatment is your best option, our financial counselor will work with your insurance company to verify your benefits. If your insurance plan requires a pre-authorization, we will request one. Obtaining a pre-authorization may take several days - or even weeks.

Although coverage verification and pre-authorization give you permission to go forward with the treatment, it does not guarantee your insurance company will pay the cost of treatment. We will require you to sign a waiver accepting financial responsibility in the event your insurance company denies payment. We encourage you to call your insurance plan administrator to determine how much your insurance company will pay and how much of the bill will be your responsibility.

Denied pre-authorization:

If your insurance plan requires but denies authorization, our financial counselor will work with your doctor to provide the insurance company more information about why CyberKnife treatment is medically necessary.

If we receive pre-authorization, we will proceed with your treatment plan. If your insurance again denies authorization, you have the right to appeal the decision. We will help you with your appeal by providing detailed information regarding your medical condition and the CyberKnife treatment option.

Additional assistance may be available through Accuray, the company that manufactures the CyberKnife equipment, by calling Accuray Patient Relations at 888-522-3740. For tips on appealing a denial for authorization for CyberKnife treatment, go to www.cyberknife.com/reimbursement-insurance/index.aspx.

Financial assistance

If you do not have insurance or you think you might need financial assistance, please call 206-320-7130. Our financial counselor will connect you with the right department at Swedish Medical Center for your particular needs.

Cash payments in advance

If you intend on paying cash in advance for your CyberKnife treatment, you may be eligible for a cash-pay discount through Swedish Private Pay Patient Services. That department will also assist patients from outside the U.S. with payment arrangements and care coordination. For more information about Private Pay Patient Service, please call 866-585-3778 or email at Sally.Bundy@swedish.org.

Types of bills

There will be two or more separate bills for each of your visits to the Seattle CyberKnife Center, including:

1. A bill from Swedish Medical Center for other costs associated with your visit, such as treatment planning, the treatment itself, nursing care, lab tests, supplies, etc. If you have questions about this bill, please call 866-365-7357.

2. A bill from Swedish Physicians Division for your doctor's services. If you have questions about this bill, please call 888-294-9333.

3. You will also receive separate bills for your pre-treatment scans - one from Swedish Medical Center and a second one from either Radia or Seattle Radiologists.

• For questions about the Swedish Medical Center bill, call 866-365-7357.
• For questions about a Radia bill, call 425-297-6200.
• For questions about a Seattle Radiologists bill, call 206-292-7777.

Billing process for patients with insurance

There are several steps to the billing process for services at the Seattle CyberKnife Center:

Step 1. We will send you a notice when we submit a bill to your insurance company for payment.

Step 2. After your insurance company processes the bill for payment, they will send you an explanation of benefits (EOB) that shows you what they have paid and any payment you owe. If you have questions about your insurance company's explanation of benefits, please call them directly for assistance.

Step 3. After we receive payment from your insurance company, we will send you a bill for your portion of the payment.

Billing process for patients without insurance

If you do not have insurance and have not paid in advance, we will bill you directly for services provided.