‘Facility fees,’ common to hospitals, are spreading to doctor practices, clinics, and surgery centers. Here’s how to fight them.

When Dan Sokol saw an orthopedist for shoulder pain in January 2018, he got an X-ray and then a cortisone shot to treat what the doctor said was bursitis. It all took less than 30 minutes at the doctor’s office, and his shoulder pain went away.

So a few weeks later when Sokol, a 61-year-old bank credit officer who lives in Los Angeles, got a bill with more than $3,000 in charges from Cedars Sinai Medical Center, a hospital near his doctor’s office, he was sure there was a mistake.

His health insurance covered most of the $1,700 charge for the exam, X-ray, and injection. But there was an additional $1,375 fee for hospital operating-room services even though he wasn’t treated in the hospital. His insurance covered only a small portion of that fee, leaving him on the hook for $1,039.

Read more on how to fight facility fees: http://bit.ly/2nj4cRn

Tags: denver, Denver Metro, Facility Fees, Orthopedist, X-ray