Press Release
United States of Care Issues Statement in Response to the Passage of Colorado Facility Fees Legislation
Denver, CO — Today, Colorado Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera signed HB23-1215, which aims to address “facility fees” in the state. “Facility fees” are unexpected charges imposed on patients by large health systems, in addition to any other charges for actual medical services. They range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars – making health care even more unaffordable for many people. Recently, these fees have become more common as hospitals buy up more freestanding clinics and providers. In response, United States of Care released the following statement from CEO and co-founder Natalie Davis:
“We applaud the passage of Colorado HB23-1215, which will help protect patients from unexpected and exorbitant ‘facility fees’ charged by health care providers. In many instances, these fees are not covered by insurance and often exceed the cost of the actual care provided. Through United States of Care’s listening work, we know that people want care that is more affordable – and this legislation would help do just that.
“I am so proud of the work United States of Care has done, including delivering testimony to the Colorado House Health and Insurance Committee, on this important legislation to support our partners at the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative in moving this bill forward, and we are excited to see that Colorado is just the latest example of state momentum to protect people from these fees.
“I also want to thank Senators Lisa Cutter and Kyle Mullica and Representatives Emily Sirota and Andrew Boesenecker for sponsoring this important legislation. United States of Care will continue to advocate for policies to address facility fees and others that make health care more affordable, dependable, personalized, and understandable for all people.”
HB23-1215 requires health care providers to notify patients when they charge a facility fee at the time the appointment is made, prohibits providers from collecting facility fees from patients seeking preventive services, and creates a steering committee to study the impact of facility fees on patients and the Colorado health care system. The results of the study are due by October 2024.
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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.
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