AUGUSTA, Maine — A task force has been formed to examine industry standards of "facility fees" being charged by Maine's health care practices. They had their first meeting Friday in Augusta.
"I hope that there is a really clear understanding about what these fees are [and] that patients are informed," task member Kate Ende said.
Established earlier this year, the task force will be responsible for understanding those charges, enforcing federal transparency requirements, and looking into other state laws to see how others have been dealing with fees.
"What's going on in other states, and laws that they've passed, and seeing in particular the common themes of those laws," Sen. Donna Bailey, chair of the task force, said.
Nearly half of all Maine households have medical debt, and most have carried that debt for at least two years, according to a study presented by Consumers for Affordable Health Care at Friday's meeting.
Discussion at the first meeting surrounded the definition of "facility fees," as different practices may charge for different reasons.
"I think we all think we know what facility fees are, but we may not be using the term in the same way," task force member Jeffrey Austin said.
Task force members also listened in on testimony from The Maine Hospital Association, Maine Association of Health Plans, Consumers for Affordable Health Care, and more.
"She went to the ER for a possible appendicitis, was given an IV with antibiotics and Tylenol," Ann Woloson said, presenting a patient example to the task force. "Her total bill was $9,000. About half of that was a facility fee charge."
With federal regulations in place to encourage transparent pricing, advocate group Power to the Patients says it's an issue nation-wide to get hospitals to comply.
"What we have at the federal level right now is an extreme lack of enforcement. We know for a fact that two-thirds of the 6,000 hospitals in America are not compliant," President Marni Carey said.
According to data from a compliance report provided by nonprofit Patient Rights Advocate, only one in five hospitals in the state comply with the federal price transparency rule.
The task force has been scheduled to meet again Friday, Dec. 8.