SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., –Just as most physicians’ offices require full or partial payment for office appointments, Regional West Medical Center will soon implement point of service (POS) payments for hospital services.

Beginning in January, outpatients will be asked to make payments of $50 when they undergo a procedure, outpatient surgery or ER visit.

OB patients will be notified early in their pregnancy of how they can make payment arrangements toward the cost of their hospitalization.

These changes reflect a national trend toward medical point of service payments and will allow patients to make relatively small payments in advance of care as well as help to reduce billing costs.

Regional West currently requires POS payments for PET scans, sleep studies, mammograms, MRI and some ER visits. After the first of the year, they will be required for nearly all services. Patients will be informed of the new policy when they pre-register or schedule an appointment. Schedulers will advise them to be prepared to pay $50 when they arrive, or they will give patients the option of paying by credit card in advance of the appointment.

Some patients will be exempt from paying Point of Service fees, including inpatients, Medicare, Medicaid – without co-pay or share-of-cost requirements, Workman’s Compensation and automobile liability.

For more information about Point of Service payments, please call (308) 630-2751 or 630-2721.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,400 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, we offer care that spans more than 40 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is one of only three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.