Colorado lawmakers are considering HB 23-1215, a measure that would ban certain types of “facility fees.” These are charges patients receive from a hospital or clinic in addition to their share of the cost of a procedure, sometimes without advance notice.
Nobody likes being surprised by a medical bill. But scrapping facility fees won’t save patients money. Instead, it will decimate the finances of clinics across the state—and force many, particularly in rural and underserved areas, to close. That will jeopardize patients’ ability to access care.
Colorado patients can’t afford this kind of government overreach.
It’s common for hospitals and clinics to charge two fees: a “professional” or “provider” fee to cover the cost of a doctor’s services, and a “facility fee” that pays to keep the lights on, the machines humming, and the rest of the care team on call.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
Banning Healthcare Facility Fees Is Bad News For Colorado
Sally C. Pipes
Colorado lawmakers are considering HB 23-1215, a measure that would ban certain types of “facility fees.” These are charges patients receive from a hospital or clinic in addition to their share of the cost of a procedure, sometimes without advance notice.
Nobody likes being surprised by a medical bill. But scrapping facility fees won’t save patients money. Instead, it will decimate the finances of clinics across the state—and force many, particularly in rural and underserved areas, to close. That will jeopardize patients’ ability to access care.
Colorado patients can’t afford this kind of government overreach.
It’s common for hospitals and clinics to charge two fees: a “professional” or “provider” fee to cover the cost of a doctor’s services, and a “facility fee” that pays to keep the lights on, the machines humming, and the rest of the care team on call.
Click to read the full article in Forbes.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.