Home » Patient Journey » Billing and Finances

Billing & Finances

Billing and Payment

Paying your bill is easy. Just click one of the links below:

Berkshire Health Systems is committed to empowering our patients and all consumers by providing relevant, useful information to understand their bills and financial obligations.

  • Use our online tool to obtain an estimate for your hospital charges:
  • Download our cost estimate request form: Download Now

If you see different doctors, they might send you a separate bill. Reach out to them directly if you have questions.

Remember, most insurance plans have deductibles and co-payments. We’ll let you know about any costs not covered by your insurance.

Our Advocacy for Access program can help. They’ll check if you qualify for financial aid, MassHealth, or other assistance programs.

Want a payment plan? 

You may set up a zero interest monthly payment plan for any bill, even a bill for a health insurance co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible.

Contact Customer Service at 413-358-4053 or toll-free at 1-844-276-5663 for more information.

Billing and Collections Policies

Other Helpful Resources

Take action right away. There may be time limits that apply.

Healthcare costs can be confusing. We’re here to help! Contact Customer Service at 413-358-4053 or toll-free at 844-276-5663. You can also email us at customer_service_support@bhs1.org. We’ve got your back!

If you have medical bills because you did not have insurance, you may qualify for financial assistance. A paper application along with supporting documentation is required.

Important: Many health care bills are for co-payments, co-insurance, or deductibles that are required as part of your health insurance. Those bills are not eligible for financial assistance.

Please refer to the documents below to find out if you qualify for financial assistance.

Versiones en Español

Contact BMC’s Advocacy for Access program at 413-447-3139 for more information. You can also contact us via e-mail at fapinfo@bhs1.org.

Advocacy for Access

Advocacy for Access helps uninsured and underinsured people access various programs that can pay for healthcare services, thereby reducing or eliminating inability to pay as a barrier to receiving health care.

If you live in Massachusetts, you may be able to get health insurance or help paying for your health care bills through a variety of state programs. Each program has different rules and income limits. Our staff can help you navigate the many available options. Assistance is available for individuals of all ages.

  • Assistance applying for, renewing, or resolving eligibility issues pertaining to MassHealth, ConnectorCare, Qualified Health Plans, or Health Safety Net (formerly known as Free Care) benefits
  • MassHealth Disability Applications
  • Premium Assistance Applications
  • Medical Hardship: a program offered by Health Safety Net that allows patients to apply for relief from medical bills incurred from hospitals and community health centers within the past twelve months
  • Referrals to:
    • Local pharmacies that offer discounted medications
    • Community Health Centers for both medical and dental services
    • Other local human service agencies including: WIC, SHINE, Community Legal Aid, Department of Transitional Assistance, Berkshire Community Action Council, et al

The following are some of the health coverage programs available to residents of Massachusetts:

The various programs available can cover the cost of provider visits, hospital stays, behavioral health & substance use disorder treatment, prescriptions, and emergency care.

Advocacy for Access of Berkshire Medical Center
510 North Street, Suite 8
Pittsfield, MA 01201
WALK-IN HOURS
(NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:15am to 3pm

APPOINTMENT ONLY
Thursday: 9:30am – 3pm

  • Walk-in assistance is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:15am to 3pm on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Appointments are available by calling: 413-445-9480

Advocacy for Access of Fairview Hospital
29 Lewis Avenue
Great Barrington, MA 01230
WALK-IN HOURS
(NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED)
Monday – Friday: 8am – 4pm

  •  Appointments are available by calling 413-854-9616. Assistance is also provided on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis

You will need to bring the following information and verification documents with you:

Language interpretation services are available for all patients at both locations. This service is available free-of-charge.

Community Enrollment Partners

Ecu-Health Care is the designated outreach and enrollment site in northern Berkshire County for all of the Massachusetts health programs and they also help residents enroll into all supplemental programs associated with Medicare.

The SHINE Program provides free, unbiased and up-to-date health insurance information, counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries of all ages and their caregivers. SHINE counselors can help seniors (and younger disabled Medicare beneficiaries) understand their Medicare benefits and other health insurance options.

Ecu-Health Care
North Adams Campus of BMC 99 Hospital Avenue, Suite 208 North Adams, MA 01247 413-663-8711
SHINE Program
Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc. 73 South Church Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 800-243-4636

No Surprises Act

This disclosure is applicable to services rendered at Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, and Berkshire Faculty Physician Services.

When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a co-payment, co-insurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” tag. This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

Emergency services

If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections. Contact your health plan for assistance finding an in-network provider or facility.

You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.

  • You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
  • Your health plan generally must:
    • Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
    • Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
    • Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
    • Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

More information about your rights and protections

Questions about a bill you received?

Contact our Patient Accounting department at 413-447-2929 if you have questions about your bill.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact:

Understanding Hospital Price Transparency

The charge description master (CDM) and payer-specific negotiated charges for Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, and North Adams Regional Hospital have been made available for your inspection pursuant to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) hospital price transparency rule effective January 1, 2021

Please Note: The negotiated rates shown in the price transparency data do not reflect a patient’s out-of-pocket costs for any given treatment.

The rates between providers and insurers often do not translate into reliable information about expected out-of-pocket costs for patients. Out-of-pocket costs are dictated by specific benefit plans that are purchased by healthcare consumers. A patient’s costs will depend on the exact insurance policy held and how it applies to the specific services the patient is seeking.  Additionally, the price transparency documents do not account for  charity care or any state financial assistance programs for which a patient may qualify.  

We encourage patients to obtain an estimate of their specific out-of-pocket costs by calling their insurance company and/or by requesting an estimate from our financial specialist by calling  (413) 447-2316. 

Please remember that these cost figures do not contain any information on the high quality and safety of patient care in our hospitals. Our continued commitment to quality and safety are at the heart of our mission. 

Berkshire Medical Center
725 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201

042791396_Berkshire-Medical Center_StandardCharges.csv

Fairview Hospital
29 Lewis Ave
Great Barrington, MA 01230

042133860_Fairview-Hospital_StandardCharges.csv

North Adams Regional Hospital
71 Hospital Ave
North Adams, MA 01247

932484732_North-Adams-Regional-Hospital_StandardCharges.csv

  • Grouper in listing denotes inpatient payment methodology
  • Excluded from the listing are services rendered by non-hospital employed physicians including, but not limited to: pathologist, radiologists and surgeons
  • Negotiated rates do not include impact of payment policies that payers may apply during claim adjudication
  • Negotiated rates do not include impact of any CPT modifier adjustments during claim adjudication
  • Excluded from the listings are payers whose rates are not negotiated (i.e.- Medicare and Medicaid)