Billing and Insurance

Confused about the health care billing process? 

We are here to walk you through it. The first thing to figure out is if you have health insurance. Your bill will depend on whether you have insurance and what type of coverage you have.

If you have insurance

  • Our billing process
  1. First, OHSU will send a claim to your insurance company (including Medicare and Medicaid) for them to pay for the costs of your care. We normally receive payment within 30 days.
  2. You will receive an Explanation of Benefits from your insurance company. This is how they let you know how much they paid on your OHSU bill and how much you still owe.
  3. OHSU will send you a statement to pay your part of the bill. This statement will show how much your insurance company paid and how much you still owe. It is due when you get the statement. If you need a detailed itemized and statement, please call 503-494-8047.
  • Tips before your visit
    • See if you need a referral. Sometimes insurance companies require an authorization or referral before you receive health care. Check with your insurance company before your visit so that you don't have to pay the entire bill yourself.
    • Make sure your information is current. Be sure to give us complete information about your primary and secondary health insurance, and bring your insurance card(s) with you to any visit. Let us know if your personal information has changed since your last visit.
    • Be ready for your copayment. Your insurance copayment is due at the time of your visit. We accept debit and credit cards, but not cash or check.

If you don't have insurance

  • If you do not have insurance, we will send you a bill for any amount that you did not pay when you received services at OHSU.
  • To see if you qualify for state or federal medical assistance, please contact OHSU Financial and Medicaid Services at 503-494-1671
  • If you are unable to pay your bill in full, please call us at 503-494-8047 or 1-866-617-6855 (toll free). We have payment plans and financial assistance programs that you may qualify for.

Insurance plans that include OHSU

Hospital price list

Your hospital bill should never be a surprise, but it can be hard to predict what is needed to treat an illness or restore a person's health. The price you pay is based largely on your insurance coverage. The best way to plan ahead for any costs is to:

  • Contact your health plan and ask what your out-of-pocket costs will be for an upcoming stay, or
  • Call OHSU's estimate team at 503-494-3508 to get an estimate for an upcoming procedure.
OHSU provides a list of our hospital charges below. Please note that these amounts are gross charges and not necessarily what we receive from health plans or patients. We charge the same for all patients, but a patient's responsibility may vary depending on rates negotiated with health plans and your individual benefit coverage. Patients without insurance or do not have enough insurance may qualify for discounts.

How to pay your bill

We have many ways to pay your bill:

Patient Billing Services
P.O. Box 4674
Portland, OR 97208-4676.

Please include your payment coupon with your payment.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. You can also pay by check.

If you are unable to pay your bill in full, please call us at 503-494-8047 or 1-866-617-6855 (toll free). We have payment plans and financial assistance programs that you may qualify for.

The different types of bills and how to read them

In this guide, we use a sample OHSU bill to show you what each part means and how to understand it.   

How to read your bill

You will receive one bill for both hospital and doctor services.

  • Your OHSU Hospital and Clinic charges are for your hospital stay or clinic visit.
  • Your doctor's fees include the costs of medical or surgical care. It also includes costs for any doctors who helped review test results.
  • You may also receive a separate bill from OHSU Anesthesia.

If you have trouble paying your bill

We know that sometimes it is hard to pay your bill, even if you have insurance. If you are still having trouble paying after your insurance has been applied to your bill, please call us at 503-494-8047 or 1-866-617-6855 (toll free). We have payment plans and financial assistance programs that you may qualify for.

If you still cannot pay your bill after all other attempts have been made, we will work with our collection agencies, including the Oregon Department of Revenue, to recover payment with no interest charged. We care deeply about our patients and will never suspend your license, report you to credit bureaus, place liens on your property, charge late fees or file judgments/suits in an attempt to collect a debt.