Our goal is to do as much as we can to minimize the financial burden that our patients encounter as a result of their individual healthcare journeys. We're here to answer any and all questions you may have about the billing processes, your healthcare bill or Great Plains Health's financial assistance options. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Knowledge about your insurance coverage and your estimated charges are key to avoiding unexpected bills from medical care received.
We're here to help! If you have any questions about your bill, call 308.568.8600.
Provider-based billing: On August 1, 2018, hospital-owned clinics became outpatient hospital departments that use provider-based billing. This billing process was changed so that patients could enjoy a more seamless and definitive billing process and your local health system could more appropriately receive Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement for services in hospital-based outpatient settings. Great Plains Health provider-based outpatient departments include neurology, endocrinology, infectious disease, nephrology, general surgery, orthopaedics, internal medicine, pain management, psychiatry, pulmonology, brain & spine, ENT, Eye Institute and urology. The Callahan Cancer Center and the Heart Institute were already provider-based clinics. Great Plains Family Medicine, Great Plains Pediatrics and Great Plains Urgent Care are not provider-based clinics.
Find more information about provider-based billing.
Discount option: Great Plains Health offers two discount options:
- You will receive a 15 percent discount for paying your balance in full at the point of service, exclusive of defined co-payments.
- If you pay your balance in full within 45 days of the bill date or third party insurance settlement, you will receive a 10 percent discount off your balance.
Pre-certification: Many insurance companies require pre-authorization or pre-certification prior to receiving medical services. Please refer to your insurance card for the authorization or certification telephone numbers.
Multiple bills: For all hospital services, you will receive a bill for services provided by hospital staff. Additional bills will come from other providers such as pathology, radiation oncology, radiology, and others.
Billing statements: You will likely receive your first billing statement several weeks after we receive payment from your insurance company. If we have not received payment from your insurance company in 45 days, you will receive a letter asking you to contact your insurance company.
Financial assistance: Great Plains Health has a program for financial assistance. If you have difficulties paying your bill, please contact us at 308.568.7112.
Price estimates and transparency
Our self-service price estimate tool in the MyChart patient portal is a convenient way for patients to view estimates for more than 400 services, providing an estimate of out-of-pocket expenses based on services and health insurance coverage.
When using this system, keep in mind the prices displayed are only estimates and not an exact representation of your out of pocket expenses. If you are insured, we strongly encourage you to consult with your health insurance company to understand the amount you may owe.
This tool allows Great Plains Health to follow up with patients to answer questions about services and offer the best customer service possible. With specific questions about price estimates, billing and financial assistance at Great Plains Health, call 308.568.7455.
Get started with self-service estimates
Price transparency FAQs
Price transparency is a term used in healthcare to describe our efforts to give consumers clear information about prices. This includes telling people how much common services cost in healthcare. Our hospital is committed to publish pricing details on our website.
Charge information is not necessarily useful for consumers who are “comparison shopping” between hospitals because the descriptions for a particular service could vary from hospital to hospital and what is included in that description. An actual procedure is comprised of numerous components from several different departments, including room and board, laboratory, other diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, therapies and other factors.
A patient who has the specific insurance codes for services requested, available from their physician, can better gauge charge estimates across hospitals. Ask your physician to provide the technical name of the procedure that has been recommended as well as the specific ICD and CPT codes for service.
A shoppable service is a medical service you can schedule in advance, usually on an out-patient basis. These services are routinely provided in nonurgent situations and allow patients to learn more about the costs of services prior to scheduling them. Examples of common shoppable services include imaging, laboratory services, medical and surgical procedures, outpatient doctor visits and routine exams such as colonoscopies and mammograms.
It is important to remember that charges for these shoppable services do not reflect the actual out-of-pocket costs a patient will pay as costs can vary depending on the clinical services provided, the actual procedure performed, your specific health insurance plan, the location where the service was rendered along with many other factors.
In order to understand the full impact of your out-of-pocket costs, please contact our patient financial services team at 308.568.7455.
Unfortunately, no. We will do our best to provide you with a pricing range based on our hospital’s historical pricing for comparable services. Price quotes are not guaranteed because the services used to compute the quote can vary from services you receive due to treatment decisions, unforeseen complications, additional tests or services ordered by your physician, and variations in the clinical needs of each patient.
Related information
Great Plains Health has partnered with MedData to assist patients who may qualify for governmental financial assistance. MedData will serve as a patient advocate and is committed to working with you to get the benefits that are needed. For more information, call 308.568.7122.