Medical Billing
Uniform Business Office
The focus of the Uniform Business Office is to ensure:
- That billable services are identified
- Payer information is available
- Accurate and complete claims are generated
- That appropriate collections are received
Patient Responsibilities
- Ensure you provide the Patient Administration Office your most current mailing address.
- Keep track of your medical and pharmacy visits and know which bills you’ve paid and which are still pending.
- File a claim with your private health insurance company or with your employer. The hospital will not file a claim on your behalf.
- Pay your bills on time, even if it means paying out of pocket while you wait for your insurance company to reimburse you. Failure to pay your medical and/or prescription bill on time may affect your credit score. Waiting for health insurance or employer reimbursement does not waive a patient’s responsibility to pay a bill.
- Set up payment plans, if necessary.
- Read or download: Patient's Bill of Rights & Responsibilities
Patient Eligibility and Billing
The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is the official site for determining eligibility for most patients. The Uniform Business Office must bill and collect funds for medical and dental services, including elective cosmetic procedures, from:
- DoD beneficiaries
- DoD civilians and Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF) employees; DoD dependent school and other government agency employees
- Secretarial Designees;
- Authorized foreign military members;
- Army and Air Force Exchange Ser-vices (AAFES) employees;
- Civilian emergency patients;
- Other non-DoD beneficiary patients authorized to receive treatment in MTFs; and,
- Contractors
Note for contractors: If you have questions about whether your employer is required to pay your medical bills, please contact your Contracting Officer Representative (COR), typically located at the Material Management/Logistics Department of the Command/government organization you support.
If you have questions about your eligibility, please see the Patient Administration office.
The Billing Process
After your medical appointment, emergency room visit, pharmacy visit, and/or inpatient stay, a medical coder reviews your medical file and translates everything from that file into the universal codes required to generate bills. Because of the coding process, it takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks for billing system to generate your bill. Please see the Patient Administration office if you have questions about the coding process.
Once generated, all bills are placed into the Centralized Receivables Service (CRS) system which will mail you a copy of the bill with a letter that provides you with the due date, your rights as a patient, and provides you with an outline of payment options available.
Make sure your mailing address is up to date with the Patient Administration office. Depending on your mailing address location, there may be an added delay for your bill to arrive. Or, sometimes, billing codes are not available in the Military Health System, which can also cause billing delays.
Pick up your Bill
If you do not want to wait for your bill to arrive by mail, you may visit the Uniform Business Office/Cash Cage window and request a copy. Bills are typically generated within 2 - 3 weeks of medical service.
Receive Email Bill Notifications
After your initial bill has been generated and you have received by picking up in person at the hospital or by USPS mail delivery, you may initiate electronic medical bill notifications that will be delivered to you by email within one day of your invoice being generated. Sign up for a Pay.gov account and link your Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay Centralized Receivables Service (CRS) patient account to it. Once you have linked your account to your invoice and reviewed it online, you will automatically receive emails within 24 hours of future bills being generated in the CRS system.
>>LEARN MORE about how to link your CRS patient account to your Pay.gov account.
Appeals Process for Old Invoices
Due to internal accounting review and updates, some USNH GB patients have received invoices that are very old, in some cases years old. We understand this situation may be frustrating and inconvenient. By law, the hospital is not allowed to write-off any legitimate invoice, no matter how old. However, if you have filed a claim and your insurance company has deemed it ineligible for payment, you may appeal in writing to request the invoice be written off. >>LEARN MORE
COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Fee
On September 30, 2021, the office of Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs issued a memorandum detailing guidance for COVID-19 vaccine administration fees.
While COVID-19 vaccines are federally purchased and provided at no cost, Military Treatment Facilities must bill for the vaccine administration fee. >>Learn more.
Insurance Coverage
Patients will file claims with their own insurance company and are strongly urged to review insurance policies for filing procedures and for claim reimbursement policies.
Individuals are responsible for all costs not covered by insurance. USNH is required by law to bill and collect for all medical visits and procedures. Because U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay is located outside of the continental United States, it is considered a non-participating provider to most insurance companies. Check with your insurance company to make sure they will reimburse you for the cost of your medical care and/or medications.
Medical Evacuation Insurance (MEDEVAC)
Non-Tricare Beneficiaries show review your medical insurance policy to ensure it provides for medically necessary evacuation transportation. If your policy does not include this coverage you are strongly encouraged to add this coverage through your own health insurance provider or purchase separate MEDEVAC insurance. You will find additional information on our
MEDEVAC page.
How are we doing?
Medical Billing Office Customer Evaluation (ICE) Patients are encouraged to complete the online Uniform Billing Office Customer Service Survey each time you visit our facility, especially if you observe a difference in the care received, whether positive or negative. Feedback from our patients is extremely important in assisting our team to make a positive and lasting impression of our facility and your care.
Frequently Asked Questions