Going Home
The following information was developed to ensure a smooth transition when you go home from Tufts Medical Center.
Discharge
Discharge planning begins as soon as you are admitted to the Medical Center. Your attending physician and primary nurse will regularly discuss your course of treatment and progress during your stay. Whenever possible, your discharge will be confirmed the evening before it is scheduled to occur. Please plan to leave the hospital by 10 a.m. on discharge day. We ask that you make necessary transportation arrangements in advance to ensure a timely departure. This allows us to accommodate new patients who need to be admitted.
Before your discharge, your physician and/or primary nurse will explain any medications you will take at home and will inform you of follow-up health care appointments. If necessary, home care services or transfer to another facility will be coordinated for you. Information on your treatment and condition will be sent to your referring physician. If you need an ambulance or other form of transportation when leaving the Medical Center, the unit secretary will make the necessary arrangements. Direct telephone lines for taxis are located in the main lobbies. You are responsible for transportation charges that are billed separately by private companies.
Prescriptions
After your discharge, prescriptions can be filled at the outpatient pharmacy located on the street level of Floating Hospital for Children, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. We accept most prescription plans; credit cards and checks are also accepted.
Billing
If you are covered by health insurance, the Medical Center will submit a claim to the insurance carrier on your behalf (at no charge). This saves you the time and inconvenience of preparing and filing a claim. With certain exceptions, the Medical Center will not bill you directly for charges incurred during hospitalization until after your insurance carrier has paid its share, or as occasionally happens, payment is denied. In addition to the bill from the Medical Center, you may receive separate statements from one or more physician groups within the Medical Center depending on the type of insurance you have and the services you received.
If you are a member of a managed care plan (e.g., Tufts Associated Health Plan, HMO Blue, Mass Health, or Neighborhood Health Plan), your plan may require that services be authorized by your primary care physician or by the plan. You may need a referral authorization in order to receive care at the Medical Center. You may also be responsible for a co-payment. If you have questions, please call your plan or
your primary care physician. If you are admitted as an observation patient, your bill will be processed as an outpatient visit in accordance with the reimbursement guidelines of your managed care plan. If you do not have health insurance, the Medical Center will bill you directly. If paying the Medical Center’s bill presents a serious financial hardship, please call our financial counselors at 617-636-6006. The counselors will try to assist you with the resolution of your bill.
For more financial information and information on Medicare, visit our Billing page.
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