Following pressure from the state’s attorney general regarding “facility fees” that can catch patients by surprise, the Connecticut Hospital Association said its members will disclose the charges in advance of treatment.
The fees are charged by hospital-affiliated physicians and other facilities to help cover operating expenses at hospitals.
CHA President Jennifer Jackson said in a statement that Connecticut hospitals don’t want patients to be surprised by a second bill containing the fees.
“Connecticut hospitals support efforts to make pricing more transparent and meaningful for consumers, and when it comes to informing patients about facility fees, hospitals agreed they can and will do better,” she said.
The CHA has asked its members to make the change as of March 1.
Attorney General George Jepsen said in September that he was considering a legislative proposal that would require disclosure of the fees, which are charged by hospital-affiliated providers to cover hospital operating expenses.
In November, Jepsen canvassed the state’s hospitals for detailed information on their affiliated providers and facilities, including independent physicians’ offices they’d acquired, and the facility fees they were charging.
