Over 60 percent of hospitals fail key billing quality tests, leading millions into medical debt despite insurance.
Millions of Americans are trapped in a maze of inflated hospital fees and opaque billing codes. Yet they either pay these crushing bills or watch their credit score plummet.
But what if patients could decode hospital charges and gain the upper hand? Armed with such knowledge, they may reveal errors, negotiate costs, access aid programs, and protect themselves from crippling medical debt.
Patients Pay the Price as Hospitals Fail Billing Standards
Recently published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from a 2022 survey by The Leapfrog Group. This nonprofit issues an annual review assessing the quality of care and billing accountability standards across U.S. hospitals.
The analysis focused on responses from 2,270 hospitals. It found that 754 facilities (33.2 percent) had taken legal action against patients who could not pay bills in full or on time. Additionally, over 1,000 hospitals failed to provide itemized bills within 30 days, possibly violating legal billing requirements.
The bill most patients get in the mail is usually a consolidated summary, “making it impossible to assess whether you’re charged correctly or not,” Patrick Haig, CEO and co-founder of Goodbill, a startup dedicated to making hospital bills transparent and affordable for patients, told The Epoch Times.
Furthermore, 125 hospitals (5.5 percent) lacked billing representatives who could investigate errors, offer price adjustments, or discuss payment plan options. In total, 1,415, or over 60 percent, of the facilities surveyed did not satisfy all three critical billing quality standards.
Over 50 percent of hospital bills reviewed by Goodbill contain inaccuracies, according to Mr. Haig. These range from coding mistakes to charges for unnecessary medical procedures.
“That’s kind of crazy when you think about it,” Mr. Haig said, “because so many people feel like they have no choice but to just pay their bills, or they go into debt because they can’t afford to pay their bills.”
Vague Hospital Invoices Hide Behind Fake ‘Itemization’
If you have concerns regarding hospital charges, request an itemized bill within 30 days. This line-item invoice details all services and supplies involved in your care.
