Hospital Pricing Transparency

Standard Charges & Display of Shoppable Services

In compliance with new federal requirements, the Albany Med Health System is making available a list of standard charges for items and services provided by hospitals within the System, as well as a price list of “shoppable services,” which are services that patients can schedule in advance.

The gross charge displayed on the lists is the dollar amount billed to insurance companies; however, it is typically not what a patient will be responsible for paying or what the insurance company pays.

A patient’s potential financial liability is dependent on various factors that can include:

  • Actual charges for services provided
  • Insurer negotiated payment rates
  • Government established payment rates
  • Patient co-insurance and deductible responsibilities
  • Secondary insurance benefits, qualifying financial aid and prompt pay discounts

The standard charges and display of shoppable services do not include physician or other separately billable provider charges.

Hospital Standard Charges

Terms within the standard charges include the following:

Gross charge: The charge for an individual item or service that is reflected on a hospital’s chargemaster absent any discounts that by law is billed to all insurance companies. (A hospital chargemaster is a comprehensive list of a hospital’s products, procedures, and services.)

Discounted cash price: The expected payment that applies to non-insured individuals who pay cash (or cash equivalent) for a hospital item or service.

Payer-specific negotiated charge: The PAYMENT that Albany Medical Center has negotiated with a third-party payer for an item or service.

De-identified minimum negotiated charges: The lowest PAYMENT that Albany Medical Center Hospital has negotiated with all third-party payers for an item or service.

De-identified maximum negotiated charges: The highest PAYMENT that Albany Medical Center Hospital has negotiated with all third-party payers for an item or service.

THE STANDARD CHARGE AMOUNT IS TYPICALLY NOT WHAT A PATIENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING.

We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

This pricing information is intended to be informational only and is not necessarily reflective of a patient’s final financial liability or the amount that will be paid by an insurance plan. A patient’s final bill depends on actual services and procedures performed as determined by the patient’s doctor. Final determination of eligibility and benefits are determined at the time the claim is processed by the insurance plan.

List of downloadable Standard Charges at Albany Medical Center [.csv format, 160MB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call Patient Access at 518-262-4989. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Standard Charges at Columbia Memorial Health [.csv format, 45MB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call Patient Financial Services at 518-828-8051. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Standard Charges at Glens Falls Hospital [.csv format, 25MB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call at 518-926-5111. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Standard Charges at Saratoga Hospital [.csv format, 90MB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call 518-886-5075. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

 

Shoppable Services

This list represents 300 “shoppable services” that a health care consumer can schedule in advance. Examples of common shoppable services include imaging and laboratory services, medical and surgical procedures, and outpatient clinic visits. This information is intended to make it easier for consumers to estimate the cost of care before going to the hospital.

This pricing information is intended to be informational only and is not necessarily reflective of a patient’s final financial liability or the amount that will be paid by an insurance plan. A patient’s final bill depends on actual services and procedures performed as determined by the patient’s doctor. Final determination of eligibility and benefits are determined at the time the claim is processed by the insurance plan.

*Section 2718(e) of the Public Health Service Act requires that each hospital operating within the United States, for each year, establish (and update) and make public a list of the hospital’s standard charges for items and services provided by the hospital. Effective January 1, 2021, hospitals are required to make available a comprehensive machine-readable file with all items and services offered by the Hospital and a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format.

List of downloadable Shoppable Services at Albany Medical Center [.xlsx format, 404 KB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call Patient Access at 518-262-4989. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Shoppable Services at Columbia Memorial Health [.xlsx format, 241KB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call Patient Financial Services at 518-828-8051. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Shoppable Services at Glens Falls Hospital [.xlsx format, 237KB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call at 518-926-5111. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.

List of downloadable Shoppable Services at Saratoga Hospital [.xlsx format, 272KB]

If you have questions or need an estimate for services, please call 518-886-5075. We recommend that you also contact your insurance company for information about the plan’s payment amount and your patient liability amount or your plan’s benefit restrictions or coverage limitations.