Distinguishing Types of Hospitals

Different kinds of hospitals have different strengths. General hospitals, as the term implies, handle all types of medical and surgical treatment, while specialized hospitals focus on specific illnesses and procedures. Community hospitals, which may have anywhere from 50 to 300 beds, are private, nonprofit, and owned and operated by community groups, religious institutions, a consortium of doctors, or other volunteers. These hospitals concentrate on providing health care for the local community and provide full range of services, still managing to give personal attention in most cases.

Teaching hospitals may be public or private. These are generally affiliated with medical schools, providing a training site for students and recent graduates. Patient care is usually handled by resident physicians, with an attending physician supervising. A patient in a teaching hospital can refuse to be examined by medical students and has the right to know exactly the qualifications of those who are proposing treatment. If you do not want to participate in the education of medical professionals, a teaching hospital is not your best option.

For profit hospitals are usually owned by corporations and are likely to put premium or cost efficiency. Public hospitals are owned by national or city governments and their corresponding health departments. They provide care for all citizens, and especially the poor.

ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE

If you do not know you are going to be hospitalized, plan ahead. Call the admitting office to arrange a time when you can stop by and do all the preliminary paperwork. Be sure to take your driver’s license, Medicare or insurance identification card, checkbook, and any other documents the office requests. You will be asked for your Social Security number and Philhealth number, and in some cases, your mother’s maiden name.

You probably will be asked to sign a form indicating how you plan to pay your bill and a form declaring whether you have insurance. When you actually check in, you may also be asked to sign a form listing the personal possessions you have with you.

Once you have completed the paperwork, find out exactly when the hospital begins billing you for your stay. You will save money by checking in the day of your procedure rather the night before—ask your doctor if a same-day check-in is permitted or perhaps even required in your case.