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PATIENT FAIRNESS IN THE NEWS
Matt Ungs, founder of Patient Fairness, said he regularly receives calls from Floridians outraged by hospital bills exceeding six figures. “(Hospitals) are relying on people to shrug and pay the bill, but the more people who push back, the more likely hospitals will change their conduct,” said Ungs, whose company disputes medical bills for clients.
"With the help of services like Patient Fairness ... patients have an easier path to advocate for fair treatment... When patients stand up against inflated or incorrect charges, it sends a strong message to providers about the importance of billing integrity."
MEDICAL BILLING NEWS
Keep abreast of news and information on medical billing and its impact on patients and consumers.
Current Month
New York is preparing to pass the Fair Pricing Act, which could make history by establishing the state’s first cap on hospital outpatient costs.
- North American Community Hub Statistics
Even if people qualify for financial help with their hospital bills, the care they receive may not be covered.
- KFF Health News
At Mary Rutan Hospital in Logan County, mass debt collection lawsuits have turned injury and illness into debt, 8% interest rates, unsparing payment plans, or garnishment for thousands.
- Signal Ohio
Sarah spent 38 hours in the hospital without health insurance, and now she’s breaking down the costs from her hospital bill. The numbers are enough to make your jaw drop.
- Chip Chick
New legislation would end payroll garnishments, cap interest rates on medical debt, and prohibit providers from reporting debts to credit agencies.
- Signal Ohio
- KFF Health News
Legal experts explain how Ohio patients can respond, dispute charges, and seek financial help when sued over medical bills.
- Signal Ohio
Private practices are vanishing as more doctors join large hospital systems. This increasing consolidation is reducing competition and raising prices.
- Yale Insights
Nonprofit hospitals admit they sent $2.7 billion in bills over the course of a year to patients who probably qualified for free or discounted care.
- KFF Health News
Some investor-owned institutions charge up to 17 times the actual cost of care, compared with an average threefold markup at other hospitals
- UCLA Health
Under House Bill 268 and its companion Senate Bill 981, which take effect in 2025, hospitals will be required to provide broader financial assistance, reduce out-of-pocket costs for many middle- and lower-income families and follow stricter rules before pursuing unpaid medical debt.
- WBAL
A new analysis of nearly 2,000 hospitals found 194 charging eight-and-a-half times their incurred costs for four elective inpatient surgeries—with poorer outcomes to boot. About three-quarters of these high-markup hospitals were private and investor owned.
- Fierce Healthcare
With the Trump administration scaling back federal efforts to protect Americans from medical bills they can't pay, advocates for patients and consumers have shifted their work to contain the nation's medical debt problem to state Capitols.
- NPR
- Becker's Hospital Review
Deborah Buttgereit struggled to afford health coverage after her husband’s death and was uninsured when she slipped on ice in Montana and broke her arm. The surgery bill was nearly $98,000, well above the initial estimate the hospital provided.
- KFF Health News
Some Cleveland Clinic patients are frustrated after leaving their annual exam appointments, only to find they've been charged hundreds of dollars for what they claim was a simple, short conversation.
- News 5 Cleveland
A Florida OBGYN says the company where he used to work is doing something called upcoding, when patients are billed for a higher level of service than received. He says it’s part of what is driving up health insurance premiums for everyone.
- NBC News
A Conroe woman wants others to consider getting travel insurance after she was taken to a hospital in Mexico for an emergency.
- KHOU
- 8 News
Bay Area family gets $5,000 bill for sitting in an ER waiting room. Here's how 7 On Your Side helped
A South Bay viewer says his family received a bill for thousands after a trip to the ER for his son, who didn't actually make it past the waiting room.
- ABC 7
When Ohio mom Hannah Castle first saw the hospital charges for her premature quadruplets, the total was staggering: $4.04 million.
- Yahoo.
- Minnesota Public Radio
Proposed legislation would take price transparency rules to the next level and establish steep fines for noncompliance.
The bipartisan No Surprises Act passed by Congress in 2022 has slashed both the number of surprise bills and out-of-pocket costs borne by patients, a new study finds.
- Health Day
- WBUR
Indiana lawmakers are hearing testimony this summer from groups representing low-income residents and families, as well as debt collectors that also deal with the issue on a daily basis.
- Daily Journal
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