LANDSTUHL, Germany — Changes to billing procedures at Army medical facilities in Europe now require some patients to pay by phone or mail instead of in person at their clinic or hospital.
The change affects thousands of “pay patients” receiving Army medical care in Belgium, Germany and Italy.
“Pay patients” are mainly composed of Department of Defense civilians and contractors, Department of Defense Dependent Schools teachers, Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees, nonappropriated funds employees and foreign military personnel.
Also, pay patients who have questions about their medical bills will no longer have a designated person in their clinic or hospital whom they can approach with questions.
Officially as of Sept. 18, pay patients have been directed to mail payments via check, money order or credit card to a newly established office on the Landstuhl post.
Patients also can call a toll-free number within Germany to pay via credit card or ask questions about their bill.
In addition, patients can e-mail questions to a Web site and get an answer in from 24 to 48 hours.
A centralized office — the Europe Regional Medical Command Uniform Business Office or eUBO for short — has been established on the Landstuhl post in order to consolidate the billing offices at all the Army hospitals and clinics in Europe except the SHAPE clinic.
The change comes as a result of the Europe Regional Medical Command’s consolidation of the medical billing offices.
The new system will allow for more consistent billing practices, said Kelley Locke, eUBO manager.
“If a person who was being treated, for instance, in Würzburg needed specialty care and was then sent to Landstuhl, the billing practices were different,” she said.
Under the old system, staffing issues would arise when the employee at the clinic’s billing office would be out sick or on leave, said Gerry Loughlan, ERMC accounting officer.
“Now we have depth and economies of scale by consolidating this whole thing,” he said. “That gives a more consistent and standard service to the patients.”
In the next month, the office will have its own Web site where patients can get information and send questions.
Pay patients can mail payments to: ERMC UBO, CMR 402, Bldg. 3700, APO, AE, 09180, or call 00800-9050-9050 (toll-free in Germany) or DSN: 486-8879 to pay over the phone.
For questions on your bill, call that number or send e-mail to: eubo@amedd.army.mil.
