# Patients Fight Hospital Facility Fees > Patients and lawmakers challenge hospital facility fees after surprise billing. - Title: Patients Fight Hospital Facility Fees · Valleynewslive - Summary: Patients and lawmakers challenge hospital facility fees after surprise billing. Patients and lawmakers push back against hospital facility fees that patients… - Keywords: facility fees, hospital billing, patients, lawmakers, medical bills, healthcare costs, facility fee reform, news, local, Fight, Hospital, Facility - Source: Valleynewslive — https://valleynewslive.com/2026/09/21/costly-care-patients-lawmakers-push-back-hospital-facility-fees - Published: 2026-09-21T17:06:25.776+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: facility fees, hospital billing, patients, lawmakers, medical bills, healthcare costs, facility fee reform, news, local ## Brad Cardinale's surprise bill Brad Cardinale paid $800 and $500 facility fees after a pain treatment at Mount Nittany Healthcare. > We tried things that began with simple, like trigger point injections with, a numbing agent. It didn’t work. ## Facility fees explained Facility fees are extra charges hospitals add to bills for operational costs, often not disclosed before appointments. > Patients have complained that the fees are not disclosed before an appointment is made or are disclosed using confusing language. ## Cardinale's frustration Cardinale spent months calling billing offices but got no answers about why two facility fees were charged. > It was infuriating, to be honest. ## Virginia patient complaint Jane Hotchkiss filed a complaint after receiving $312 facility fee she didn't know about until her bill arrived. > I didn’t know I was paying for room rent when I was going to see the doctor. ## Hospital response Hospitals say facility fees cover operational costs and are normal billing for procedures. > This is normal billing for this type of visit and that everything was billed correctly. ## State laws target fees Over 20 states have passed laws to reform facility fee billing, but rules vary widely across states. > In Maryland, the Facility Fee Right to Know Act requires hospitals to provide formal notification and disclosures to patients about hospital outpatient clinic charges or facility fees ## Congress examines fees Congressman Jason Smith chairs committee hearing on hospital fees and wants bipartisan legislation to address facility fees. > The American people are fed up with outrageous prices that seem artificially high. ## Hospital industry response American Hospital Association says facility fees are necessary to cover hospital operations and staff. > So, in an ideal world, health plans would just pay for the care that their enrollees need. ## Fee cap concerns Hospital industry warns facility fee caps could underfund hospitals and stop services. > You put a cap on that and unfortunately, you may just not be putting enough into the system. ## Patient reaches deductible Cardinale paid $3,200 deductible before getting answers about facility fees. > Our healthcare system in America is fundamentally broken at the moment. ## Call for reform Patients and lawmakers push for facility fee transparency and reform to prevent surprise billing. > Nobody knows what these facility fees are going to be until you get your bill in the mail. ## State action needed Virginia patient hopes for legal changes to require facility fee disclosure before appointments. > I hope we can talk about some legal changes in Virginia so that people know up front. ## Hospital system response Hospitals say they will improve billing transparency but won't change facility fee practices. > We are committed to making healthcare billing clearer and easier for patients to understand. ## What happens next Patients and lawmakers push for federal reforms to address facility fee transparency and billing practices. > And I think we can do it in a bipartisan approach. Which I think is super important. ## Key takeaway Patients and lawmakers push back against hospital facility fees that patients are unaware of until bills arrive.