Payors such as WellPoint and Cigna report an increase in charging for hospital facility fees at hospital-owned clinics, even when they are not on the hospital campus, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Due to the extra facility fee, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care estimated that visits to hospital-run urgent care facilities cost around $69-$541, compared with $24-$185 at independent urgent care facilities.
Hospitals say the additional charges reflect the costs of offering a full range of healthcare resources and of meeting regulatory standards for patient safety, infection control and other areas.
Read the Wall Street Journal's report on hospital facility fees.