LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Michigan lawmakers are pushing to restrict hospital facility fees that can add unexpected charges to medical bills, including routine blood tests and doctor visits, as patients struggle to understand healthcare costs and hospitals warn that limiting the fees could threaten their financial stability.
The bipartisan reform effort follows complaints from patients who say their bills increased after independent doctors’ offices and laboratories were acquired by larger healthcare systems. Proposed legislation would prohibit facility fees for certain services provided outside hospital campuses, telehealth appointments and some outpatient services inside hospitals.
State Representative Curt VanderWall, a Ludington Republican who sponsored the legislation, said he sought an itemized bill after a routine blood draw and was surprised by the additional charges…