ER FAQ

9700 N Saguaro Blvd, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

The Fountain Hills Emergency Room is equipped with eight ER beds, five observation beds, a full radiology department, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, EKG capabilities and laboratory services.

The emergency department is able to treat a range of emergencies from the flu, fractures, pneumonia, strokes and heart attacks. If further treatment is necessary at a higher level of care which is not available in the Fountain Hills Emergency Room, we will facilitate transfer.

Freestanding Emergency Departments (EDs), are health care facilities that offer emergency care without being physically attached to a hospital. The Fountain Hills Emergency Room offers shorter wait times, board-certified physicians, more face-to-face time with practitioners and onsite diagnostic/imaging equipment and labs.

The difference between urgent care and an emergency room is the severity of the health problem that is treated. If the condition is life-threatening, go to an emergency room. Emergency rooms are perfect for emergency situations. Emergency situations are what the average patient thinks is an emergency. No need to fear uncovered costs of an emergency room visit; even if your issue ends up not being an emergency, your health plan is mandated by law to cover ER visits. We do not want patients second guessing themselves if they believe they are experiencing an emergency.

We have a handful of observation rooms available to place patients for up to 24-hours in observation for many medical conditions. If the condition requires care that we are not currently equipped to provide, our staff is able to initiate a transfer that can result in a “direct-admission” to a larger acute care hospital, bypassing the emergency department.

The Emergency Room will bill all insurance programs including Aetna, Humana, United Health, Cigna, and BlueCross/BlueShield. We also accept out-of-pocket payment in the form of cash, checks or credit cards for Uninsured patients. Your ER co-pay will be collected at the time of your visit. We will then bill your insurance company for the policy’s emergency room and observation benefits. There will be two different claims mailed to your insurance company: the facility bill and the physician bill.

After your visit – you will receive an Estimation of Benefits (“EOB”) from your insurance company. This is not a bill. You might also receive aggressive language from your insurance company about your care being out of network. However, remember that your insurance company is mandated by law to pay a fair rate to us for your ER visit. Our ER is out of network for all insurance, but we bill all insurances and will accept fair payments from your insurance company. We are committed to working with our patients who may have high deductibles.

We DO NOT balance bill our patients ever. If you do get a bill from us for your ER visit and have questions regarding patient responsibility,  please call our billing department for further clarification. You might not have any additional out-of-pocket responsibility after your insurance covers their part. Our patients already pay thousands in insurance premiums, and this is taken into account as well

Yes, the Fountain Hills Emergency Room accepts uninsured/self-pay patients. Our first priority and commitment is the health and medical care of our patients. When patients arrive at the ER, they will be assessed and an emergency medical screening will be performed. Pricing will be available based on each patient’s condition.

If you require financial assistance, need help understanding your bill or would like to make payment arrangements, please contact our billing department.

FHMC honors all in-network deductibles and coinsurance. In other words, you will never pay more than your in-network deductibles and coinsurance in our facility, regardless of your insurance. Our goal is to reduce or eliminate financial barriers to seeking medical care.

In emergency situations, Fountain Hills Emergency Room works with patients to establish a reasonable accommodation or payment plan for all monies owed due to the patient’s responsibility.

We accept Medicare/Medicaid/Veterans/Indian Health patients both in our Emergency Room and Medical Clinics. FHMC however is a Physician owned medical center and we do recognize the challenges involved in seeking full CMS approval and are determined to overcome them in a short period of time. These challenges will not prevent us from taking care of patients at our facility regardless of what insurance they have. Patient access to care is the priority at our facility and we will overcome any challenges involved in getting CMS approval.

Absolutely. It is mandatory under Arizona law to secure Workers Compensation. Regardless of who is at fault, workers injured at work are entitled to Health care benefits. Compensation must however be filed by the injured worker within one year after injury occurred. Please visit the Industrial Commission of Arizona Claims Division for more information.