Out-of-network billing is increasingly common for privately insured patients, even if they're treated at in-network hospitals, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
Five takeaways:
1. Researchers analyzed 5,457,981 inpatient admissions and 13,579,006 emergency department admissions from 2010-16. The sample included privately insured patients.
2. The incidence of out-of-network billing rose from 32.3 percent to 42.8 percent of emergency department visits.
3. The mean potential liability to ED patients increased from $220 to $628.
4. The incidence of out-of-network billing for inpatient admissions rose from 26.3 percent to 42 percent.
5. The mean potential liability to inpatients increased from $804 to $2,040.
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