No cash, no checks. Erie hospital now requires patients pay with credit or debit card
Allegheny Health Network, Saint Vincent's parent organization, is no longer accepting cash or checks for most medical payments made at the hospital or in the office. The new policy took effect July 7.
"This policy change allows us to reduce administrative costs, strengthen the security of our payment processing, and improve record-keeping," AHN officials said in a statement. "Reducing physical contact with paper currency and checks also reduces the spread of germs, improving infection control."
The Pittsburgh-based health system accepts all major credit and debit cards, including those attached to health savings and flexible spending accounts.
Exceptions will be made for patients who don't have a credit or debit card.
"AHN will not turn away patients at the point of care," AHN officials said.
AHN continues to accept cash at nonclinical locations, including cafeterias, vending machines and gift shops.
UPMC still accepts cash and checks for copayments and other payments at its hospitals and medical offices, according to a UPMC Hamot spokeswoman.
It wasn't immediately known what payments are accepted at UPMC-GoHealth Urgent Care centers.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Cash, checks no longer accepted at Saint Vincent for medical services
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