Billing and Collections

As hospitals see revenue squeezed, many also face pressures to raise prices even though consumers watch costs closely, Ernst & Young consultants tell a crowd at the Healthcare Financial Management Association 2015 Annual National Institute.

These hospitals charge the uninsured and certain other payers more than 10 times the amount they charge Medicare, but critics say there's a big difference between what hospitals charge and what they are paid.

The new policies encourage physicians to give patients greater price transparency on the cost of care, taking into account insurance status.

Invitae has rolled out a one-price-fits-all payment model for its range of tests, charging a set $475 for any test for patients who don't go through their health insurance.

The top 100 inpatient stays are associated with approximately $62 billion in Medicare payments and over 7 million hospital discharges, according to data the department just made public as part of its transparency push.

Top services include upper airway endoscopy and nerve injections.

Infections treatments lead to millions in medical charges.

InstaMed shows healthcare providers must give consumers more online and mobile choices for paying their bills while protecting patient data.

Expenses are climbing by 8 percent this year over last, from $416 billion in 2014 to $608 billion in 2015, according to a new report from Kalorama Information.

Nearly one American in three with private health insurance got a surprise medical bill in the past two years.