Hospital Admissions

Our normal hours of operation for outpatient testing are Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm. After hours, please present to the ER Registration located at the back of the hospital for any outpatient testing or admission. Our ER Registration is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time for registration.

What To Expect at Pre-Admission and Outpatient Registration

Our friendly and courteous Outpatient Registration Representatives are here to serve your registration needs whether you are here for a simple lab test, x-ray test, same day surgery, or inpatient services. Please be assured that all information requested will remain confidential.

Upon arrival to our main lobby, you will be greeted by our auxiliary personnel who will sign you in. On some occasions you may encounter a waiting period and you may be given a patient pager. The auxiliary personnel will activate the pager to notify the admissions representatives of your arrival. Upon notification, an admissions representative will assist the next patient to the registration office.

You will be asked to provide your name, address, telephone number, insurance information, photo ID, and other pertinent information to complete your registration. After the registration process has been completed, the admissions representative will direct you to the designated department for testing.

What You Will Need To Bring

  • A form of photo identification
  • Insurance card(s)
  • Estimated payment due for services rendered. We accept cash, check, and credit/debit cards.
  • Physician Outpatient or Admission Order, if applicable

If you are planning to be admitted to our facility, you should bring a robe, slippers with non-skid soles, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb or hair brush for your comfort during your stay. Clothes to wear when you are discharged can be brought after you are admitted.

We request your photo ID and insurance cards at each visit for security reasons. Our hospital uses an electronic scanning device to capture information related to your hospital account, and this information includes your photo ID. Scanning your picture helps to ensure that we have selected the correct patient medical record which contains your medical history. It also protects you from others who may wish to steal your medical identification.

Insurance Pre-Certifications

Many scheduled or non-scheduled outpatient surgical procedures require pre-certification. Our insurance verification personnel will contact your insurance company to obtain your benefits and any estimated cost due on your date of service. As a courtesy, we will also contact your physician’s office if notification or pre-certification is required to avoid having your claim denied or your benefits reduced. Please check with your insurance company to be sure you and your physician have met the required pre-treatment authorizations. You may also contact us at (979) 241-3634 or (979) 241-5519 if you have any questions regarding your appointment.

Outpatient (Central Scheduling)

When your physician chooses to schedule outpatient services here at Matagorda Regional Medical Center, our scheduling department will contact you for your preferred date and time. This scheduling process can be done for any testing or procedures that your provider orders. (Outpatient labs do not require an appointment.) You can also contact us at (979) 241-5966 or utilize your patient portal access for any scheduling needs. Please have your insurance information and your physician’s orders ready when you call.

Billing Information

As a courtesy to you, the hospital will submit bills to your insurance company and will do everything possible to expedite your claim. However, please remember that your policy is a contract between you and your insurance company, and you have the final responsibility for payment of your hospital charges. We also have several payment options available to assist you in payment of your bill. After receiving your bill, please call the Business Office at (979) 241-5503 with any further questions or concerns.

Physician’s Fees

If you have certain tests, treatments, or procedures in the hospital, you may receive bills from physicians you did not see in person. These bills are for professional services rendered by these physicians in diagnosing and interpreting test results while you were a patient. Pathologists, radiologists, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians, hospitalists, and other specialists perform these services and are required to submit separate bills. If you have questions about these charges, please call the number printed on the statement you receive from them.

Important Information, Forms, and Notices

Important information, forms and notices, can be found on the Patient Rights and Responsibilities page. If you, a loved one, or someone in your charge is admitted to this facility, you are highly encouraged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities. The information you will find on this page includes information on your rights, our privacy notice, medical records disclosures, Advance Directives, and more.

Patient & Family Welcome Center

Don’t forget to visit the Patient & Family Welcome Center for information and links identified by former patients as being vital to planning your hospital visit.

You will need to contact your physician office to determine if your procedure has been approved by your insurance company.

Payments can be made in person, by phone, mailed, or by logging into your patient portal.

Yes, payment arrangements can be made by contacting a financial representative at (979) 241-5519 or (979) 241-3634.

When a physician specialist performs these services, he/she is generally required to submit their bill separate from the hospital’s bill.

Yes, as a courtesy to our patients, Matagorda Regional Medical Center will submit the bill to your insurance carrier. If you have a secondary insurance company, a claim will be sent to the secondary insurance company after the primary insurance company has paid. You are requested to provide any billing information that the insurer may require.

Matagorda Regional Medical Center will process and send a bill to a patient after payment is received from the insurance carrier and it is confirmed that the remaining balance is owed by the patient. The length of this process depends on how long it takes to receive a response from your insurance carrier, and whether there is a secondary insurance.

A separate account number is generated for each outpatient date of service and each inpatient admission. This enables us to bill for specific charges and diagnosis relating to your care for that date of service and enables your insurance company to apply the proper benefits. Exception: for recurring outpatient services such as physical therapy or wound care therapy, one account number is generated each month.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) requires hospitals to publicly post a machine readable (e.g., XML, CSV) list of their standard charges via the Internet. You can visit the Standard Charges & Cost Estimates page here.