Getting prompt emergency medical care often leads to bills from providers you may not be familiar with. Independent Emergency Physicians (IEP) is a large emergency medicine group that staffs ER doctors across Michigan. You may receive a bill from IEP after an ER visit. This guide explains what IEP is, how to understand your IEP bill, and easy ways to pay it.
What is Independent Emergency Physicians (IEP)?
Independent Emergency Physicians (IEP) is a private emergency medicine practice based in Michigan IEP partners with hospitals to provide dedicated ER physician staffing and management services,
Here are key facts about IEP
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Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, MI
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Employs over 300 board-certified emergency medicine physicians
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Staffs ER doctors at 16 hospitals across Michigan
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Partner hospitals include Ascension, Trinity Health, and Henry Ford Health
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Serves over 565,000 ER patients annually
So in many cases, the ER doctor treating you in a Michigan hospital ER is an IEP physician. This means you’ll later receive a separate bill from IEP for the ER doctor’s services.
Why You Get a Separate Bill from IEP
Most people don’t realize that ER doctors typically bill separately from the facility fee that hospitals charge. There are two main billing components for an ER visit:
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Facility fee – This covers use of the ER facility and is billed by the hospital.
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Physician fee – This covers the ER doctor’s services and is billed by the doctor’s practice – in this case, IEP.
The ER physician fee pays for the doctor evaluating and treating you. IEP bills patients directly for the ER doctor services, separate from the hospital’s billing.
Getting an IEP bill after an ER visit is normal. Now let’s look at how to understand and pay your IEP bill.
Key Details on Your IEP Bill
IEP bills may seem confusing at first glance. Here are key details to look for:
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Patient name & address – Verify this matches your information
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Date of service – The ER visit date(s) being billed
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CPT codes – These medical billing codes describe the specific services provided
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Charges – The IEP charges for each ER service
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Adjustments – Reductions to the charges, such as insurance discounts
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Amount due – The final patient responsibility amount owed
Make sure the dates, charges and services match the ER treatment you received. Contact IEP if you find any discrepancies on your statement.
How to Pay Your IEP Bill
IEP offers several payment options to quickly settle your ER doctor bill:
Pay online
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Visit IEP’s payment portal at pay.instamed.com/IEP
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Input your account number and pay by card or electronic check
Pay by phone
- Call IEP at 1-800-842-3011 to pay by card over the phone
Pay by mail
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Send a check or money order payable to IEP to their lockbox address
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Include your account number on the payment
Setup automatic payments
- Login to the portal and enroll in AutoPay to have payments deducted automatically
Paying promptly is important to avoid having the unpaid bill sent to collections, which can impact your credit score.
Financial Assistance Options from IEP
If you are unable to pay the full IEP bill amount, financial assistance options may be available:
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Payment plans – Pay the balance off over 3-6 months with scheduled payments
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Hardship application – Apply to have a portion of your bill forgiven based on financial need
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Uninsured discounts – Uninsured patients may qualify for a discount on services
Contact the IEP billing department to discuss these options and set up a payment plan if needed. Having even a small monthly payment setup is better than missing payments entirely.
Avoiding Surprise Medical Bills
Getting a separate, unexpected bill from IEP can feel like a surprise medical bill. Here are some tips to help avoid or minimize surprise bills:
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Know your insurance benefits – Deductibles, copays, network status for hospitals/doctors
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Ask about costs upfront for non-emergency treatment
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Review bills closely and watch for unauthorized charges
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Pay promptly to avoid bills going to collections
Staying proactive and knowing your financial obligations for healthcare services can take some surprise out of medical billing situations.
Getting Help with Your IEP Bill
If you have any questions about your IEP statement or difficulty paying, contact their billing team right away:
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Call: 1-800-842-3011
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Email: [email protected]
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Submit a query through the online payment portal
The IEP billing department can explain your charges, setup payment plans, take payments over the phone and assist with financial assistance applications. Reach out for help to resolve any issues with your IEP emergency physician bill.
Getting separate bills from emergency room doctors like IEP is standard practice. Now that you know what to look for on your IEP statement, you can review the charges and pay your bill quickly online, by phone or mail.
Be sure to keep records of payment and follow up if you don’t receive a zero balance receipt. Take advantage of any financial assistance programs if paying the full amount presents a hardship. Don’t let an IEP bill go to collections due to lack of understanding. Instead, leverage the billing team support to get your account settled promptly.
THE IEP DIFFERENCE
Our culture of owners was built through cultivating, retaining, and promoting outstanding clinical leaders and the very best physicians.
We are leaders who model behavior and actions that positively influence the behavior and actions of our peers and partners.
Board certified physicians providing clinical excellence for our hospital partners, and outstanding, compassionate care for our patients.
We foster cross functional collaboration among stakeholders to advance the best possible patient and business outcomes.
Unlike staffing companies, we form a true partnership with our hospitals. We excel in shared risk, shared reward partnerships.
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My ER Doctor Is Billing Me For What Insurance Didn’t Pay, What Can I Do?
FAQ
What is the difference between emergency medicine and emergency physician?
They work in the emergency room of a hospital and do emergency medicine. An emergency physician, also called an ER doctor,
What if I can’t afford to pay my Scripps medical bill?
If you got medical care at Scripps, you need to pay for any services that your insurance didn’t cover. Please call our billing office at if you got a bill that you can’t pay in full. We can help you make a payment plan or look into other programs that may be able to help you pay your bill. When is my payment due?
Why did I receive a bill from Sound Physicians?
Our doctors and nurses work hard to give patients and their families in the areas we serve the best care possible. If you or a family member went to the hospital, emergency room, or post-acute care facility, Sound Physicians may have sent you a bill. This bill is for the services provided by the clinician who delivered care.
What is a patient care bill?
This bill is for the services provided by the clinician who delivered care. There are hospitals all over the country that we work with, and we want you and your family to feel confident in the care you receive as a patient.
Do I get a separate medical bill from a Scripps facility?
When you leave a Scripps facility after getting care, you’ll usually get one bill that has all of your hospital and professional fees on it. But in certain circumstances, you may still receive separate bills for medical services provided by third parties.
Does Scripps have a single billing statement?
At Scripps, we want to put the patient at the center of everything we do. On May 1, 2019, we started using a new single billing statement and office. There are times when you or your family members may get separate bills for medical care provided by outside parties.
Will I see bills for medical services provided by third parties?
We don’t send bills for some medical services that were done by outside companies when you use our billing system. This could include fees for: Any bills sent to you directly by a third-party provider should be paid right away, or you will keep getting monthly bills for the balance.
