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Welcome to UCI Medical Center

Before You Check In:

• Preadmission Testing
• Arriving for admission
• Taking care of your valuables
• Financial information
• Verifying your insurance
• Cash deposit
• Indigent care
• Insurance assistance

Preadmission Testing

Your physician may request some tests to be done before you are admitted. Your physician’s office or the Preoperative Clinic staff will contact you to arrange an appointment to have the tests completed on an outpatient basis. Pre-admission appointments are generally scheduled early in the day. If you have questions, please call 714-456-2274 to reach our Preoperative Clinic.

Arriving for admission

On the day you are scheduled for admission, please make plans for someone to drive you to UCI Medical Center. Parents must accompany patients younger than 18 years old because they must provide written consent for their children to receive medical care. Guardians must bring legal proof of guardianship.

Taking care of your valuables

Please leave all of your valuables at home. If you must bring a valuable item with you, we encourage you to put it in the hospital’s safe.

Financial information

Prior to your admission to UCI Medical Center, staff members will help you with any questions regarding insurance. Following admission to the hospital, you or your family members can also talk with a Patient Services representative in the Admissions Department who will serve as your liaison.

Verifying your insurance

All insurance plans are private contracts between patients and their insurance companies. As a courtesy, we will try to verify coverage and obtain payment from your insurance company, Medicare or Medi-Cal, but the final responsibility is yours. Some insurance plans require pre-admission authorization or a second opinion before payment is authorized. Please study your plan carefully and make sure you have met the hospital admission requirements.

Please bring your current insurance card, identification and insurance claim forms with you to the hospital.

Cash deposit

When you are admitted you will be required to pay the difference, if any, between your verified insurance benefits and the estimated charges for your stay. This amount is based on the average of actual daily hospital charges for patients admitted with similar diagnoses, multiplied by the number of days you are expected to be hospitalized. Your actual charges may be more or less than the estimate. If they are less, you will receive a refund.

The deposit does not include your physician’s charges or those of other consulting physicians. These costs will be billed to you directly by the physicians. Also, if you do not have insurance or coverage through a program such as Medi-Cal or Medicare, you will be asked to pay the estimated charges for your stay upon admission. You may pay by cash, personal check, MasterCard, Visa or American Express or Discover Card.

Indigent care

If you qualify for indigent care assistance because you cannot afford to pay your bill, please tell your admissions representative. Like many other hospitals, UCI Medical Center provides care to patients who qualify for the Orange County Medical Services for Indigents program. You will need to supply information verifying your qualifications for this program.

Insurance assistance

If you need help filling out billing and insurance forms, contact your Patient Services Representative at 714-456-6355 (ext. 6355 from your hospital room). A representative can be reached Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.