Patients are increasingly complaining about facility fees for off-site care provided at physician offices or urgent care centers after receiving unexpectedly high medical bills, The Boston Globe reported.
Facility fees can occur when patients receive off-site care at an urgent care center or physician office owned by a hospital, and the care is billed as an outpatient hospital visit. The extra charge can surprise patients since they did not receive the care at the hospital, and the charge could be more than the amount listed for an urgent care visit on their insurance card, according to the report.
Patients in Massachusetts have complained to state Attorney General Maura Healey about the issue, prompting her office to investigate facility fees. Her investigation into Boston-based Partners HealthCare and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary resulted in a $175,000 settlement in September. As part of the settlement, the organizations agreed to offer patients certain billing information to ensure they know about any potential charges.
The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission and lawmakers have also looked at the issue. The commission, an independent state agency, recommended banning facility fees in certain instances, according to the report. The Globe noted some state lawmakers agree with the commission's idea, and others want to solely require disclosure of the fees.
Currently, some insurance companies do allow hospitals to charge hospital facility fees for certain off-site care, and the practice remains common, according to the report.
Access the Globe's full report here.
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