June 3, based in Washington, DC United States of Care (USofCare)a nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes access to health care, published a report emphasizing the impact of hospital facility fees. In a press release, USofCare explained that setup fees are often charged in addition to other fees that support personnel and equipment costs.
According to the report, debt incurred for hospital fees has a disproportionate impact on historically marginalized communities. Additionally, people in rural areas with fewer provider options are subject to higher setup fees.
“More services are provided in settings that are now hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), even when those facilities are not actually part of a hospital campus,” the report states. “This means that after a hospital acquires an outpatient facility, the facility’s fees increasingly become tied to services that have very little to do with the day-to-day operations of hospitals and emergency departments.”
“The impact of hospital facility fees on equity is clear and deeply concerning,” USofCare Director of Policy Solutions Liz Hagan said in a statement. To address the issue of facility fees, USofCare recommends that regulators report data on facility fees and that policymakers require that facility fees be clearly disclosed in notices to patients.
On March 12 Press releaseUSofCare said it was encouraged by the The Biden administration’s proposed budget for 2025. “Included in the President’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget are critical investments that will expand access to affordable health care, lower prescription drug prices, and lower health care costs for individuals,” reads the press release. The budget proposal is also believed to promote health equity by improving access to care.
“President Biden’s budget includes proposals that will make significant progress toward implementing specific critical changes that we know people want, such as reducing health care costs by capping facility fees,” said USofCare CEO Natalia Davis. it’s a statement.
