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Insurance & Billing
We want billing to be the least stressful part of your child's care. This page is designed to answer the questions families ask most often — what insurance we accept, what to expect after your visit, how to pay your bill, and who to call when you have questions. If you can't find what you're looking for here, our billing team is always happy to help at 406-281-8700.
Insurance We Accept:
Children's Clinic is contracted with most commercial insurance plans, Montana Medicaid, and Healthy Montana Kids (Montana's CHIP program). The list below reflects our current network participation. If you don't see your plan listed, please call us at 406-281-8700 — network participation and plan availability change, and we're happy to check for you.
Plans We Accept Include:
- 6 Degrees
- Allegiance
- America's Choice Provider Network
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana
- City of Billings (EBMS)
- Community Health Network
- FEDMED
- First Choice Health (Big Sky Region)
- First Health
- Healthy Montana Kids (HMK) — Montana's CHIP Program
- InterWest
- Montana Medicaid
- Mountain Health Co-op
- Pacific Source
- Prime Health Services
- TRICARE West Region/ TriWest VA Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- United Healthcare
This list is not exhaustive. If your insurance is not listed, please call us at 406-281-8700 before your appointment and we'll confirm whether we can bill your plan.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Please bring the following to every visit to help us keep your child's account current and avoid billing delays:
- Your child's current insurance card (front and back)
- A photo ID for the responsible party or guarantor
- Your copay or known out-of-pocket amount (copays are due at the time of service)
- Updated contact and insurance information if anything has changed since your last visit
If your insurance has changed, please notify us before or at check-in. Billing to old or inactive insurance can delay your claim and result in a balance being assigned to you.
Why Did I Receive a Bill After My Child's Well Visit?
Well child checkups and annual preventive exams are typically covered at no cost under most current insurance plans — but you may receive an additional bill if something beyond routine preventive care was addressed during the visit.
Children's Clinic is required to code and bill for the services actually provided during your child's visit — not only what it was scheduled for. If a significant medical problem is identified or addressed during the visit, that additional service must be billed separately and may be subject to your copay, deductible, or coinsurance. Not every finding beyond routine prevention results in a separate charge — only when a significant medical problem requires its own evaluation.
The following may result in a separate charge:
- Acute illness found during the preventive visit (such as an ear infection or strep throat)
- ADHD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Asthma
- Headaches requiring a treatment plan
- Adjusting medications or adding new prescriptions
- Wart and skin lesion removal/treatment (billed as a procedure, not a separate office visit)
- Laboratory tests ordered or performed at the visit
Preventative visits typically include:
- Physical exam
- Vaccines
- Screening for vision, hearing, depression/anxiety, and other issues
- Medical and screening reviews by your provider
- Preventive health coaching
Have questions about a charge? Start by calling the member services number on the back of your insurance card to confirm how your plan processed the claim. Your plan is best situated to help you understand the benefits they cover. However, if we can help you understand medical billing in any way, please call our billing team directly at 406-281-8700 — we're happy to walk through our role and how it interacts with your plan and benefits with you.
Copays, Deductibles & Your Financial Responsibility
Your insurance plan is a contract between you and your insurance company. While Children's Clinic files claims on your behalf, your plan determines what it covers and what portion you're responsible for — we do not set your copay, deductible, or coinsurance amounts.
Here's how patient responsibility generally works:
- Copays are due at the time of service. Please be prepared to pay your copay at check-in.
- Deductibles are the amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance begins covering certain services. If you haven't met your deductible for the year, you may receive a bill for the full allowed amount for some services.
- Coinsurance is the percentage of a covered service you share with your insurance company after your deductible is met.
- Self-pay patients — patients without insurance or who choose not to use their insurance — are responsible for the full balance at the time of service. Please contact us in advance to discuss your situation.
Once your insurance processes your claim, you'll receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company showing what was billed, what was allowed, what insurance paid, and what you owe. Your statement from Children's Clinic will reflect the same patient responsibility.
Statements, Payments & Payment Plans
After your insurance processes your claim, any remaining balance is your responsibility. Here's what to expect:
- When a balance is assigned to your account, you'll receive a notification by text and email through MyChart. Statements are mailed approximately every four weeks. You can also view and pay your balance at any time through MyChart.
We accept the following forms of payment:
- Online via MyChart → [Pay Your Bill]
- By phone — call 406-281-8700 (ask for Patient Accounts)
- In person at either location — cash, check, or major credit/debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express)
- By mail — please include your account number
Payments are due within 30 days of your statement. We encourage you to pay online via MyChart for the fastest processing, and we strongly recommend keeping a card on file for families on payment plans.
Payment Plans
If you're unable to pay your balance in full, we offer payment plans. Payment plans can be set up through MyChart or by calling our Patient Accounts team at 406-281-8700, option 6. We'll work with you to find a manageable monthly amount based on your balance.
Pending Insurance:
If your Medicaid application or insurance is pending, please let us know at check-in. We will work with you during the eligibility determination process. Please contact our billing team at 406-281-8700, option 6 to discuss your situation.
Billing Questions & Contact
Our Patient Accounts team is here to help. If you have questions about a charge, your statement, your insurance, or setting up a payment plan, please reach out:
- Phone: 406-281-8700, option 6 (direct Patient Accounts line)
- General line: 406-281-8700
- Pay online: MyChart → [Pay Your Bill]
We accept the following forms of payment:
Our billing team is available Monday through Friday during regular business hours. For billing questions about a specific claim, we recommend also calling the member services number on the back of your insurance card, as your insurer can clarify how they processed the claim.
Patients Without Insurance
Children's Clinic welcomes patients regardless of insurance status. If your child does not have insurance coverage, please let us know at check-in or when scheduling. Self-pay patients are responsible for their balance at the time of service. We're happy to discuss payment options with you in advance.
Under the federal No Surprises Act, you have the right to request a good faith estimate of the expected cost of scheduled services before your appointment. To request a good faith estimate, please contact us at 406-281-8700 at least three business days before your scheduled visit.
Your Rights Under the No Surprises Act
Federal law protects patients from unexpected bills in certain situations — including emergency services from out-of-network providers and certain non-emergency services without prior notice. You have the right to receive a good faith estimate of costs for scheduled care.