USofCare Releases First of Its Kind Poll Showing Strong Support for Lowering Health Care Costs, Limiting Fees, and Requiring Transparency in Hospital Billing

With America’s health care affordability crisis top of mind for a majority of people, policymakers can pursue targeted solutions that voters overwhelmingly support by passing the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act and site-neutral payment policies.

Washington, D.C. — Today, United States of Care released a new survey, conducted by Morning Consult, outlining how 74% of voters support limiting or restricting facility fees, or charges imposed on people because of where health care was delivered. Facility fees can often exceed the actual cost of care and often are not completely covered by insurance, leaving people with out-of-pocket fees without any clear improvement in quality of care or health outcomes. With 81% of voters supporting requiring medical providers to disclose their facility fees upfront to patients before they are seen, people want transparency around these fees and clarity around what they are being charged.

Health care affordability remains a top concern for people. With 84% of voters identifying health care as a priority for Congress to address this year, policymakers have the mandate to support targeted changes that lower costs, limit fees and increase hospital transparency. This includes the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act set to be voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives today. As we move away from a broken fee-for-service system that delivers disjointed, fragmented health care experiences and towards a patient-first care approach that prioritizes quality over quantity, these popular solutions can provide a meaningful improvement for people now.   

“Hospitals play a critical role in our health care system, and implementing targeted solutions like requiring transparency and limiting patient exposure to inflationary charges and facility fees will strengthen the relationship between people and their providers,” said United States of Care CEO and Co-Founder Natalie Davis. “We’ve talked to thousands of people in our listening work, and we’ve heard over and over again that affordability is the biggest barrier to accessing care. People feel like they can’t rely on our health care system when they need it, and coupled with the rising cost of health care, facility fees can leave people feeling overwhelmed. 

“So many of these problems in our health care system are rooted in the broken fee-for-service approach that gives patients a fragmented, disjointed health care experience and doesn’t treat them like whole people. By demystifying hospital billing through transparency measures and protecting patients from facility fees, as 13 states have already done, we can take steps towards reducing the burden of health care costs and work towards a patient-first model that prioritizes quality over quantity.”

These findings come as the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act – legislation that would require site neutral payment for drugs under Medicare Part B and require transparency across hospital and health systems and their affiliated off-campus facilities – is set to come up for a vote in the U.S. House today. This legislation would be a significant step forward toward realizing broader reforms that advance site-neutral payments across the system, as advocates and experts have been pushing, and as 13 states have already moved to address. In a letter delivered to House leadership, United States of Care is urging members to support this legislation and provide people with the pricing transparency and fairness they need to make informed decisions about their health care. 

Key findings from this poll include: 

• Requiring medical providers to disclose their facility fees upfront to patients, before they are seen, received support from 81% of voters, with 62% of respondents agreeing strongly. 
• Requiring big corporate hospitals to report data on facility fees, including how much revenue they are collecting from facility fees, received support from 81% of voters, with over half of respondents agreeing strongly.  
• Banning facility fees for patients’ visits with their primary health care providers or for preventive care services received support from 77% of voters, with half of respondents agreeing strongly. 
• Banning corporate health care and hospital systems from charging hospital facility fees for services performed at clinics and doctor’s offices that are not located on a hospital campus received support from 77% of voters, with half of respondents agreeing strongly. 
• Banning facility fees everywhere for outpatient, same-day services, regardless of the service or where care is being provided, received support from 74% of voters. 

Full poll findings can be found here.

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About United States of Care

United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.