Greedy US hospitals ad billions of dollars in ‘facility fees’ to routine medical bills with patients charged for using the OFFICE where they meet doctors – as the worst states are revealed

  • US hospitals charge unsuspecting outpatients hundreds of dollars in facility fees to offset the costs of running their central organizations
  • Patients across the country whose providers have been bought out by major hospital systems are being penalized up to hundreds of dollars per visit
  • In states like Ohio, four out of five medical bills sent to the state’s largest insurer for heart tests now include a facility fee

American hospitals make billions of dollars by charging unsuspecting patients so-called ‘facility fees’ for routine check-ups in outpatient clinics.

A new Wall Street Journal report explores the frustration suffered by everyday Americans who are unknowingly charged hundreds of extra dollars intended for hospital overhead costs.

According to the Journal, the costs are becoming unavoidable as hospitals continue a pattern of steady acquisitions of medical practices.

The charges significantly increase the cost of standard medical procedures, including mammograms, colonoscopies and heart exams, by hundreds of dollars.

A new report from the Wall Street Journal examines the frustration faced by everyday Americans who are unwittingly charged hundreds of extra dollars in “facility fees”

Facility fees, which typically amount to charging an individual for the use of the room in which he/she meets his/her doctor, are used to offset the costs of running a hospital.

Hospitals argue that facility fees, which typically amount to charging an individual for use of the room in which they meet with their doctor, are necessary to offset the costs of federal regulations.

Reimbursements for outpatient services help hospitals pay for services such as neonatal ICUs, the argument goes.

In Maine and Ohio, four out of five medical bills for heart tests now sent to each state’s largest insurer come with a facility fee tacked on.

After hospitals buy clinics and doctors, the fees appear on patients’ bills.

Hospitals categorize once-boutique clinics as extensions of their centralized operations, giving longtime patients the option of paying the high fee or finding a new provider.

The Journal report claims that many hospital systems now earn at least half of their revenue from non-admitted patients.

These numbers add up in the context of how much hospitals have purchased in recent years. By one estimate, about 50 percent of physicians work for hospitals.

Some who study such cases say the fees are not justified. Medicare consultants said fees collected in 2021 allowed the government program to overpay by $6 billion for a range of services.

Some lawmakers in Congress have proposed limiting the benefits covered by Medicare.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in December that would prevent Medicare from paying hospital costs for chemotherapy and other drug infusions administered by doctors at clinics that are not on a hospital campus.

The move would save the federal insurer just under $4 billion over the next decade.

After big hospitals buy clinics and doctors, fees start showing up on patients’ bills

Some states have taken matters into their own hands. In Indiana, clinics outside hospital campuses affiliated with the largest nonprofit health care systems cannot charge fees

The group representing the interests of major hospitals – the American Hospital Association – does not want Congress to limit reimbursements.

It argues that these types of restrictions would deprive hospitals of the revenue they need in a cutthroat financial market.

Some states have taken matters into their own hands. In Indiana, clinics outside hospital campuses affiliated with the largest nonprofit health care systems cannot charge fees.

Other states have banned costs associated with telehealth or preventive care visits.

Some require hospitals to notify patients of the charges before booking an appointment.

Starting in July, Colorado hospitals will be required to disclose reimbursement rates to potential patients.

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