Billing Frequently Asked Questions

Whom can I contact for billing questions?

Call Patient Services at 866‑803-1777, Monday through Friday, 8 am‑4:30 pm PT.

Will I know the cost of my hospital care beforehand?

When you or your family member is treated at Cedars‑Sinai, we bill your insurance provider. Because of this, we suggest you talk to your insurance company about what’s covered before you have treatment. You'll need to pay for any amount not paid by your insurance.

If you're uninsured or underinsured, Cedars‑Sinai does offer flat‑rate cash packages for certain procedures. Cedars‑Sinai also offers help paying your bill.

For elective surgical and gastrointestinal (GI) procedures, you can call the Cash and Insurance Pricing Line at 310‑423-4890 and ask for cash and insurance pricing before your care.

How does billing work after I have received care?

Cedars‑Sinai bills your insurance company for all care provided by the hospital. The amount the company pays is determined by your plan's benefits.

If your insurance doesn't pay in a reasonable amount of time (generally 45 days) or doesn't cover the full cost of your bill, we may call or write your insurance provider again. We may also call you for help in processing your insurance claim.

Please note: Certain physician charges may not be part of your Cedars‑Sinai bill. You may be billed separately by hospital-based doctors who treat you.

Will I get a bill?

If your coverage is through Medi‑Cal, an HMO (health maintenance organization plan—a type of insurance plan that limits coverage to doctors who are part of a specific network) or Medicare HMO, you may not get a bill. You will receive a bill if your claim is denied or your HMO states that you must pay part of the charge. That bill will list the services provided and what was or wasn’t paid by your insurance.

If your coverage is with any other health plan, you’ll receive a copy of the bill if you're responsible for it.

If you don't have insurance, we’ll work with you to select the best way to pay before you leave the hospital. Additionally, Cedars‑Sinai offers help paying your bill for qualified applicants.

How much will I owe?

Once we receive a payment or denial from your insurance company, we’ll send you a statement telling you the amount you owe. This amount should be the same amount noted on the Explanation of Benefits you received from your insurance company. That total is due upon receipt. If you have questions, call your insurance company or Patient Services at 866‑803-1777. If your insurance company fails to make any payment on your account, we may seek full payment from you.

What other bills can I expect?

In California, doctors may not be directly employed by a hospital, even if they work in a hospital. Therefore, you may receive a separate bill from any doctors who treated you during your stay at Cedars‑Sinai. This may include radiologists, anesthesiologists, pathologists and others.

Please note: Doctors who treat you may or may not be contracted with your health plan. Check with your insurance company to make sure those doctors are covered, and reach out to the doctors directly for billing questions.

What are my payment options?

Cedars‑Sinai takes cash, most major credit cards and personal checks. Help paying your bill is available to qualified applicants. You can also pay your bill online by signing in or creating an account in My CS‑Link or through the My CS‑Link app. For help paying your bill, call Patient Services at 866‑803-1777.

How can I better understand my bill?

We include a summary of charges by category on all bills and statements. If you want a bill detailing the charges in each category, call Patient Services at 866‑803-1777. View a sample patient bill with an explanation of its contents and get tips for figuring out your charges.

Why do I get bills from the hospital when my child was never there?

Cedars‑Sinai provides a wide range of medically‑related services for independent clinics, local doctors and other hospitals. For example, a pediatrician or health center may refer lab work to Cedars‑Sinai for testing or analysis. When this happens, the bill for the lab services will come from Cedars‑Sinai.

What if I don't have health insurance?

Cedars‑Sinai accepts cash, personal checks and most major credit cards. The Patient Services team can work with you to make a payment plan. For some services and procedures, we’re able to offer flat‑fee cash packages or discounts.

We’re committed to providing quality healthcare to everyone in the community who needs it, regardless of the ability to pay. Help paying your bill is available to qualified applicants.

My medical bills are adding up fast and I can't pay all of them. How can I get help?

We're committed to providing quality healthcare to everyone in the community who needs it, regardless of your ability to pay. Any person without health insurance is eligible for discounts and payment plans. Help paying your bill is available to qualified applicants. Call Patient Services at 866‑803-1777 for help with your medical bills.

I received a letter stating my account has been referred to a debt collection agency or collection attorney. Why? What should I do?

Before an account is referred to a debt collector, you’ll receive four billing statements from Cedars‑Sinai. You also may get a phone call from our Patient Services staff. If you haven’t paid or made payment plans after these steps have been taken, the account may be referred to a debt collector. These agencies act under the direction of Cedars‑Sinai.

Once an account is placed with an outside debt collector, we ask that you work directly with the collector to take care of what is owed.

By law, we must let you know that:

State and federal law requires debt collectors to treat you fairly and prohibits debt collectors from making false statements or threats of violence, using obscene or profane language, and making improper communications with third parties, including your employer. Except under unusual circumstances, debt collectors may not contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. In general, a debt collector may not give information about your debt to another person, other than your attorney or spouse. A debt collector may contact another person to confirm your location or to enforce a judgment. For more information about debt collection activities, you may call the Federal Trade Commission at 877‑FTC-HELP (877‑382-4357) or visit ftc.gov(Opens in a new tab). Nonprofit credit counseling services may be available near you.

Which bills can I pay through My CS‑Link?

You can pay the outstanding balance(s) on your Cedars‑Sinai statement. This statement includes billing for services provided by the medical center and by physicians who are part of the Cedars‑Sinai Emergency Department, Cedars‑Sinai Medical Network, or who are faculty physicians at Cedars‑Sinai.

Physicians who are not part of these groups may bill you separately.

What is a guarantor?

A guarantor is the person financially responsible for the visit.

Why are there multiple accounts in my Billing Account Summary?

You'll see three guarantor types: personal/family, vision and transplant recipient. The most common is personal/family. If you have multiple account types, each will be listed separately.

What does "apply payment to" mean?

"Apply payment to" allows you to apply payment to the total outstanding balance or to a specific individual visit.

*Note: Not paying the total balance by the due date might send your account to collections.

Why can't I see prior statements?

As of June 28, 2016, Cedars‑Sinai implemented a new workflow to enable the viewing of statements in My CS‑Link. If you need a copy of a statement prior to June 28, 2016, call Patient Services at 866‑803-1777.

Where do I get help or more information?

If you have questions about My CS‑Link, please call Patient Services at 800‑700-6424 or visit mycslink.org. For technical support, call 855‑891-7251, 6 am‑10 pm PT, 7 days a week.

Learn about our financial assistance policy and see if you’re eligible to apply. You can download the application and mail it to our office.

Help Paying Your Bill