AUGUSTA - Rep. Poppy Arford, D-Brunswick, has been named House chair of a legislative panel tasked with reviewing the impact of so-called "facility fees," which are fees that hospitals and health care providers add to patient bills in addition to their professional fees for services provided.
The Task Force to Evaluate the Impact of Facility Fees on Patients held its first meeting at the State House on Friday, Dec. 1.
"Maine people deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care," said Arford, a longtime advocate for health care consumers. "To that end, we need to ensure that medical billing practices are fair and transparent. This task force will study facility fees and work to achieve this goal."
The task force includes lawmakers, health care policy experts, advocates for health care consumers and representatives of Maine hospitals and health insurance carriers. It was created by LD 1795, which was sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash.
At a public hearing on the bill earlier this year, Consumers for Affordable Health Care Policy Director Kate Ende told lawmakers that facility fees are affecting Mainers' access to affordable care.
"The amount charged for facility fees can vary widely between hospitals and specific services. Some fees may be a couple hundred dollars, while others can be in the thousands. We have seen many bills from consumers where more than half of their total bill is attributed to facility fees," said Ende, who will also serve on the task force.
The task force will hold additional meetings on Dec. 7 and Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. before reporting its findings and recommendations to the Legislature's Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
Arford is serving her second term in the Maine House. She represents House District 101, part of Brunswick, and is a member of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Arford], c. 305-965-2744