Patients are being hit with this surprise fee just for seeing their doc
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Patients who visit hospital-owned doctors' offices are discovering something that could make them feel ill: a surprise "facility fee" unrelated to the medical treatment they receive. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
Patients who visit hospital-owned doctors' offices are discovering something that could make them feel ill: a surprise "facility fee" unrelated to the medical treatment they receive.
The charges — which can range from $25 to thousands of dollars — are typically showing up on patients' medical bills following an annual physical exam, strep throat test or telehealth appointment, according to a report from U.S. PIRG.
Facility fees are intended to help hospitals offset their high overhead costs, including overnight care, use of specialized equipment and other expenses that make them costly to run. But when hospitals acquire independent physician clinics that don't face hospital-scale expenses, patients may still be hit with those charges even in outpatient settings.
"They're being charged for overhead costs that are entirely unrelated to the care they received," U.S. PIRG said in the report.
For patients, facility fees drive up medical costs and even dissuade some people from seeking care, the nonprofit consumer advocacy group found.
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