We are pleased that you and your physician have placed your trust in us to provide your medical care. Our team of health care professionals is committed to doing their best to make your visit as pleasant as possible.
Pre-admission Testing Up to two weeks before your actual procedure, your physician may arrange for you to have tests completed in preparation for your surgery or procedure. You may call for an appointment at 706/774-5777. When you arrive, please be prepared to present a current insurance card and picture ID. At this time, you will also be asked to pay your portion (deductible, co-insurance) toward the services.
Important Documents to Bring Please bring the following documents or information, as it applies to you:
Insurance cards
Social Security numbers for patient and spouse, and, if a pediatric admission, for parent and patient
Retirement dates for patient and spouse (Medicare patients)
Birth dates for parents (for pediatric admissions)
If you are being admitted, Living Will and/or Medical Power of Attorney if you have completed these forms. If not, call University's Pastoral Care department at 706/774-5811 to request either or both of these forms. Please note: Due to the nature of these materials, we suggest that you take time to read and make decisions about them in the quiet of your home, before coming to the hospital. Georgia laws relating to the witnessing of these documents make it difficult to sign them after admission to the hospital. If you need more detailed information, please call University's Pastoral Care department at 706/774-5811.
Parking Parking is complimentary in the decks and lots adjacent to University Hospital. A valid handicapped permit must be displayed in vehicles using handicapped spaces.
Where to Report On the day you are to enter the hospital, please go directly to one of the following areas unless instructed otherwise by your physician or pre-admission advisor. You will find the Maps button at the top of this page helpful.
If you are being admitted to the hospital, please come to the main entrance and go to the Admit Center on the first floor, just off the main lobby.
If you are having surgery in the main hospital and entering the day of surgery, please go to A.M. Admit, off the main lobby. Note: If you did not have pre-admission testing before your surgery, please go to Central Registration first.
If you are having a procedure in Day Surgery, please go directly to the Day Surgery Center adjacent to University Professional Center 2.
If you are having surgery in the main hospital and entering the day before surgery, please come to the main entrance and go to the Admit Center, just off the main lobby on the first floor.
If you are having a baby, come to the main entrance. Enter through the doors to the W.G. Watson, M.D., Women's Center and take the dedicated elevator directly to the third floor. Stop at the information desk if you need assistance. You may also access the Labor and Delivery area through the Emergency Department entrance.
If you are having a heart or vascular procedure, please go to the registration area on the first floor of the Heart & Vascular Institute.
If you are having a procedure in the Endoscopy Suite, please go to the Admit Center.
If you need additional directions once you get to University Hospital, please stop at the Information Desk, where assistance is available 24 hours a day.
Personal Items Please label your luggage with an identification tag that includes your name, address and phone number. We suggest you pack your personal toiletry items, a nightgown or pajamas, slippers, reading glasses, hearing aid, a book and magazines, and if you are having a baby, an outfit for your baby to wear home.
Valuables Please understand that the hospital is not responsible for loss of personal items during your stay. Please leave all valuables at home. If that is not possible, ask your nurse to secure your valuables in the hospital safe. You will be given a receipt to reclaim them upon discharge.
Smoke-free Hospital University Health Care System has a smoke-free campus policy that applies to all patients, visitors and staff. Click here for smoking cessation information.
Room Accommodations Your room assignment at University Hospital is based on your admitting diagnosis and bed availability on the day of your admission. While we try to honor each patient's request for a private or semiprivate room, other arrangements may be necessary due to occupancy, physician's orders or the nature of your condition.
Click here for a list of important telephone numbers.
BILLING INFORMATION
University Hospital Business Center 1230 Walton Way (corner of Walton Way and 13th St.) Augusta, GA 30901 706/828-2333 or 800/763-0250
University Health Care System strives to provide you with prompt, accurate billing. You will receive a statement of account that does not include charges for your private physician, emergency physician or professional fees for pathology, radiology, anesthesia, etc. All charges may not appear on your bill by the time you leave the hospital because of the cycles of the various services you may have used. After you get your first statement, you will receive at least one statement every 30 days until your account is paid in full.
Help Getting Health Care Service
This hospital participates in the Georgia Indigent Care Trust Fund. Georgia residents with qualifying financial need are eligible to receive certain benefits under the Trust Fund.
You Have a Right To:
The availability of free and reduced-charge services
The ability to gain admittance without pre-admission deposits
Not be transferred solely or in significant part for economic reasons
The availability of services provided
The terms of eligibility for free and reduce services
The application process for free and reduced-charges
The person or office to whom complaints or questions about the hospital's participation in or operation of the program may be directed
Help with Your Hospital Bills
You may be eligible for financial help with your bills for inpatient and outpatient services at this hospital. Under the Trust Fund, we offer a certain amount of free and reduced-charge care each year. You can see University Hospital's Financial Assistance Determination Guidelines here. Applications may be picked up at the following locations:
Hospital Main Lobby 1350 Walton Way 706/774-5321 or 706/774-2563
Finance Center 1230 Walton Way 706/828-2333
If You Have Problems
If you have any concerns about how we operate programs under the Trust Fund rules, you may contact the Hospital's Indigent Specialist at 706/828-2448 or write to the Department of Community Health at 2 Peachtree St., N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303-3159.
Insurance
University is happy to assist in filing your insurance claims. While your insurance is pending, we will not bill you for the amount we estimate your insurance will pay. Deductibles, co-insurance and non-covered amounts are due upon receipt of the first statement of account.
If we receive no payment after filing your claim, we will consider your account rejected by your insurance carrier. We will then bill you for the account balance.
When you come to the hospital, please bring all of your current insurance cards or a copy of them so that financial arrangements can be made quickly and easily. If you and your spouse both have insurance, please bring both cards.
Managed Care/Preferred Providers
University Hospital is considered a preferred provider for many insurance plans. If University is not your plan's preferred provider, you may incur a larger financial responsibility for choosing a "non-network" hospital. It is your responsibility to confirm the preferred provider status of University Hospital with your insurance carrier. If your choice of University Hospital is "out of network," you will be responsible for whatever your insurance does not cover, which is likely to be a significant amount.
Medicare
Your Medicare card must be presented at admission to confirm your benefits. At the time of your registration, the Access Coordinator is required by law to ask several questions from the Medicare Secondary Payor Questionnaire form that will aid us in properly billing your account to Medicare. Dental admissions are not covered under Medicare.
Medicaid
If you receive Medicaid, please you should have presented your medical card for the current month at the time of your admission. Regardless of "medical necessity," Medicaid will not pay for a private room. Medicaid is secondary to any and all third-party coverage. All applicable insurance must be assigned to University Hospital as primary carrier. Medicaid does not allow the hospital to give patients or others an itemized statement for the purpose of collecting unassigned third-party payment. Medicaid requires notification of any person requesting an itemized statement.
Discount Plans
University Hospital does not participate in discount programs such as Care Entrée, Physician Visit and Hospital Program, and Prudent Choice. Please call Scheduling and Benefits at 706/774-5777 if you are unsure if your plan is a discount program.
Physicians' Fees
Your hospital bill does not include fees for your physician(s) or for services from physicians who practice at University Hospital, including emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, pathologists, radiologists, neonatologists or other independent practitioners. You will receive a separate bill from their billing offices, and all inquiries should be directed to the telephone number on the bill.
Pricing Information
Some patients with insurance plans with higher deductibles are interested in comparing pricing for certain procedures. If you have any questions regarding a price estimate for an upcoming service or procedure, please contact Scheduling and Benefits for an estimate at 706/774-5777.
Questions and Information
If you have any questions about your bill and the charges it contains, please call the Patient Accounts Service Center at 706/828-2333 or toll free 800/763-0250. This office is located on the lower level of the University Hospital Business Center at 1230 Walton Way (corner of Walton Way and 13th Street) in the old Georgia Power building. As an added convenience, a drop box is located outside the entrance where you may deposit your payment.
INSURANCE PLANS
You will be asked to pay deductibles, co-insurance, private room differences and non-covered amounts prior to service. University Hospital is considered a preferred provider for many insurance plans. If University Hospital is not your plan's preferred provider, you will be responsible for a higher co-payment or percentage of your hospital charges for choosing a "non-network" hospital, which could be significant. It is your responsibility to confirm the preferred provider status of University Hospital with your insurance carrier. Your plan's Customer Service staff will be able to verify if University is or is not a Participating Provider at the time of service, and they can be reached at the phone number quoted on your card.
Most insurance companies do require pre-certification and/or referral from your primary physician in advance of service. University Hospital recommends that you call the insurance company to verify that the pre-certifications and referrals have been completed. It is the responsibility of the patient, guarantor or patient's physician to notify or call the insurance company. Failure to gather pre-certification, physician referral or pre-authorization may result in reduced payment or denial of benefits by insurance company.
For more information, please call 706/774-2125 or click here to send an e-mail.
University Health Care System accepts the following health plans:
Insurance Carrier Contracts
AetnaPPO
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia HMO
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia PPO
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of South Carolina PPC
Georgia Board of Regents State Benefit Health Plan PPO
United Health Care HMO, POS and PPO
Coventry
Principal
BlueChoice HMO SC
Instil-Medicare Advantage
Humana Gold-Medicare Advantage
United Complete-Medicare Advantage
Lease Network Contracts
CCN
Definity
First Health
First Medical Network
Fortified Provider Network
Great West HealthcarePPO and POS (formerly One Health Plan)
Healthcare Savings (formerly Physicians Care Network)
HumanaChoicecare Network
Industry Buying Group (IBG)
KanawhaHealthcare Solutions
MedCost
Multiplan (with BCEEmergis and Preferred Plan of Georgia (PPOG))
Novanet
Premier Health Systems
Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
Southcare
Three Rivers Network
Universal Health Network
USA Managed Care
Pro Net
This list is subject to change. University Hospital does not participate with discount programs such as Care Entrée, Physician Visit and Hospital Program, and Prudent Choice. We currently participate with most Medicare Advantage Private Fee for Service plans. If you have any questions regarding your plan's participation with University Hospital, please call Scheduling and Benefits at 706/774-5777.
Medicare Advantage Private Fee for Service Plans
University Hospital participates with most Medicare Advantage Private Fee for Service Medicare plans. These plans replace Medicare and their members can go to any Medicare participating providers that choose to participate. To ensure that University participates with your plan, please call Scheduling and Benefits for assistance at 706/774-5777.
MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS DURING ADVANCED ILLNESS / Living Wills / Advanced Directives
When recovery from an illness is not expected, patients and families need to consider a multitude of issues, even in the midst of sorrow. Others, seeking to decide what should be done for them when certain catastrophic circumstances arise, often do not know where to turn for information and planning. These issues include living wills and other advanced directives for care.
Both Georgia and South Carolina have laws regarding the establishment of advanced directives in the event a patient becomes incapacitated due to illness.
University Health Care System also is proud to offer a link to the "Completing a Life" Web site created at Michigan State University. This site can help patients and families learn about the practical, emotional, spiritual and medical issues faced by those dealing with advanced illness. With more than 100 topic pages, it invites patients to take charge, find comfort and reach closure through such areas as getting good pain relief and other supportive care talking with health professionals, family communication, writing advance directives and finding answers to spiritual questions. The site offers specific pages for family members and a chance to read personal stories of others who have addressed the end-of-life journey.
Credits Created at Michigan State University by the Communication Technology Laboratory and the Palliative Care Education & Research Program
Supported by Michigan State University Cancer Center and Office of Libraries, Computing and Technology, the Henry Ford Health System, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Michigan Department of Community Health
SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR MEDICARE PATIENTS
University Hospital is required by federal law to copy your Medicare card each time service is provided at one of our facilities. University Hospital is also required to ask you the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionaire. Although you have answered these questions before, University Hospital is required by law to ask them again. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Some of the information for the Medicare questionnaire includes:
Social Security numbers for patient and spouse (if the patient is a minor, Social Security numbers for parents and the minor patient)
Click 
