Privacy Policy

ADVANCED DIRECTIVES

Patients have a right under Michigan law to execute advance directives, such as Living Wills and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions. American Surgical Center can provide you with official State advance directive forms. Additional information regarding advance directives for the State of Michigan is available at: http://www.michbar.org/elderlaw/adpamphlet.cfm.

If you have executed an advance directive, please bring your most recent copy to Ann Arbor Surgical Center on the day of your procedure. As a patient of the Surgery Center, you have the right to make informed decisions regarding your care. These include the right to consent, to reject, and to withdraw consent for medical procedures.

Please note: It is the policy of Ann Arbor Surgical Center, when an emergent situation arises, to resuscitate patients until care can be transferred to an acute care facility. If made available, a copy of your advance directive documents will accompany you upon transfer of your care. If you have any questions regarding Ann Arbor Surgical Center policy on advance directives, please call 248-220-7505 and ask to speak to the Facility Nurse Manager.

FINANCIAL INTEREST DISCLOSURE

As a prospective or current patient, we are required to inform you of any physician financial interest or ownership in the facility. Ann Arbor Surgical Center has physician financial interest. We welcome you as a patient and our mission is to provide high quality patient care at a reasonable cost in a safe environment.

SURPRISE BILLING

No Surprises Act

Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act, which Congress passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, is designed to protect patients from surprise bills for emergency services at out-of-network facilities or for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, holding them liable only for in-network cost-sharing amounts. The No Surprises Act also enables uninsured patients to receive a good faith estimate of the cost of care.

Billing Disclosures – Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)?

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care–like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

You are protected from balance billing for:

1. Emergency services

If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Additionally, Michigan law protects patients from balance billing and requires that the patient pay only their in-network cost sharing amounts for: (i) covered emergency services provided by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility or out-of-network facility; (ii) covered nonemergency services provided by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility if the patient does not have the ability or opportunity to choose an in-network provider; and (iii) any healthcare services provided at an in-network facility from an out-of-network provider within 72 hours of a patient receiving services from that facility’s emergency room.

2. Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center

When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.  If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.

Additionally, Michigan law states if the patient consents to receive nonemergency care from an out-of-network provider, the balance billing prohibition does not apply. These protections apply to any patient covered by a Michigan health benefit plan and a self-funded plan established or maintained by the state or local unit of government for its employees.

When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:

• You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.

• Your health plan generally must: cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization); Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers; Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits; and Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact:

• The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under federal law.
• The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services at 877-999-6442 or visit “Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services” for more information about your rights under Michigan law.

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.  Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment and hospital fees.

Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

• If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
• Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

Get More Information

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)