What are hidden medical fees?
Hidden medical fees, also known as “facility fees”, are unexpected and unfair charges that you often find on a medical bill. These are administrative costs that do not go towards paying doctors and nurses for the actual care you receive – instead padding salaries of the corporate hospital CEOs that own your medical clinic. Currently, there are no protections in place to shield Oregonians from the burden of these added costs.
Why should I be concerned about hidden medical fees?
Too many hardworking Oregonians and families today are already struggling to afford our medical care and access basic health care services. Oregonians currently have no protections against large corporate hospitals adding unfair facility fees for services outside of the hospital, on top of prices that already exceed the cost of care, and are being left with massive bills and often medical debt as a result.
How will banning hidden medical fees benefit me?
Banning hidden medical fees will give you more control over your health care costs. Eliminating these hidden fees for services performed outside the hospital will help protect you from higher medical bills that can make the cost of care prohibitive and help you avoid extra, unexpected expected expenses.
Do Oregonians support banning hidden medical fees?
Yes. 73% of Oregon voters believe that legislators should take action to reduce hospital prices, including by prohibiting hospital facility fees for services performed outside the hospital. Nearly all Oregonians believe hospitals should be required to provide up-front cost estimates.
Have other states taken action to ban hidden medical fees?
Yes. As of September 2024, 18 other states have passed legislation to protect people from hidden medical fees.
What can I do to ban hidden medical fees in Oregon?
You can make your voice heard by contacting your state legislators and urging them to support policies banning hidden medical fees. Let them know why this issue is important to you. Join us to ban hidden medical fees and put hardworking Oregonians above large hospital system profits.