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John,

What's wrong with this picture?

A man in California goes to the doctor for shoulder pain. He gets an x-ray and a cortisone shot, and he's out within 30 minutes. His insurance covers almost all of the cost of the x-ray and shot.

But a few weeks later, he's hit with a bill leaving him on the hook for over $1,000 for the hospital's overhead and operating expenses -- even though he never stepped into a hospital.[1]

Welcome to the latest way to overcharge medical patients: the hospital facility fee.

We're supporting a state ban on these baseless facility fees. Add your voice: Tell your legislators to stop hospitals from charging patients even when they don't visit the hospital.
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Getting medical care is hard enough. These confusing, egregiously high facility fees only make it worse. You're being charged by the hospital that owns your doctor's practice -- but you never even visited the hospital.[2]

The fees vary tremendously, and patients often don't know what's coming until they get their bill. And, these hidden fees are usually not covered by insurance.[3]

Facility fees can turn a routine visit into a very unpleasant surprise. Will you tell your legislators to stand up for patients and ban facility fees?
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As your consumer advocate, PIRG has worked long and hard to protect patients from out of network bills and to make health care prices more transparent. And, some states have already restricted these facility fees.[4]

We're working to end these outrageous fees for all patients, but we can't do it without your help.

Tell your legislators today: Ban unfair facility fees.
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Thank you,

Faye Park
President

1. Donna Rosato, "The Surprise Hospital Fee You May Get Just for Seeing a Doctor," Yahoo News, June 13, 2019.
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2. Maribeth Guarino, "Outpatient outrage: Hospitals charge facility fees for care at the doctor's office," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, March 25, 2024.
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3. Elizabeth Chuck and Maite Amorebieta, "Did your doctor's office charge you a 'facility fee'? Here's what you need to know," NBC, July 24, 2025.
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4. "Outpatient facility fee reform," Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
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U.S. PIRG
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