Surprise Medical โขBills: Hidden Fees Are Popping Up at Doctor’s Offices
LOUISVILLE,Ky. – Patients โขscheduling routine doctor’s appointments may encounter unexpected charges beyond standard co-pays, asโ medical offices โincreasingly implement fees for services like paperwork, inquiries about health history, and even prescription copies.
These โadditional costs are raising concerns for consumers,particularly as many are already navigating rising healthcare expenses. While seeminglyโ small individually,these fees can quickly add โคup,creating a financial burden for patients. Newโฃ regulations regarding prescription access,โข alongside a trend toward time-based billing, are contributing factors to this growing issue.
Under โขthe 2021 contact lens rule and the 2024 โeyeglass rule, eye doctors are legally obligated to provideโ patients with their prescriptions at noโ cost. โThis explicitly prohibits charging for copies or related paperwork. However, reportsโ indicate this rule isn’t always โขfollowed, andโข similarโ fees are appearing inโ other specialties.
Beyond prescription copies, some offices areโฃ charging patients forโ theโ time it takes to address additional โฃquestions or concerns during appointments. Doctors explain this practice aimsโฃ to maintain reasonable appointment lengths and preventโ delays for otherโ patients. Though,consumer advocacy groups like Consumer’s Checkbook report a broader trend of “hidden” fees,including facility and administrativeโฃ charges,becoming increasingly common.
These extra chargesโข canโฃ impactโ anyone with an upcomingโ doctor’s โvisit, regardless of insurance coverage. Experts advise patients to โproactively inquire aboutโข potential fees when scheduling โappointments and to carefully reviewโฃ all billing statements for discrepancies.
More area businessโฃ stories:
* New flexible child care optionโข opening โขsoon in Louisville
* Mission-driven cafe opens at Louisville’s Nortonโข Healthcare Sports & โLearning Center
* tourism officials expect September to be ‘huge’ economically for โคLouisville
* Buffalo Wild Wings GOโข opens near UofL campus
Toโ read more Don’tโค Waste Yourโฃ Money stories, click here.Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.