Facility fees — often a surprise charge — are adding to cost of doctor visits, according to an article on The New York Times website.
The purpose of the facility fee is to compensate hospitals for the expense of maintaining the facility.
Hospital-owned, off-campus medical practices can also charge the fee to cover regulatory requirements, such as building codes, disaster preparedness and equipment redundancy.
How much a patient may have to pay depends on the complexity of the visit. For new patients, facility fees typically range from $131 to $322 per visit; for established patients, they are slightly lower. In surgical centers and free-standing emergency rooms, the facility fee can be thousands of dollars, the article said.
Laser Scanning: Reducing Risk in Construction Projects
MOBs Get Smarter and More Complex as Space Pressures Mount
Ascension Saint Thomas Sets Date for Groundbreaking on New Hospital and Health Campus
Women in Construction Sees Growth on Florida Jobsite
Managing Soft Surfaces, Clean or Soiled