Florida AG investigating patient charges, hospital billing practices

Calls for more price transparency at hospitals

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen talked with one patient who's been in and out of the hospital since 2017, and he shares her story.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Knowing the full price of a medical procedure before you get it isn't always easy. In many cases, the cost to the patient can be much more than they anticipated.

What we know:

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is going after some hospitals, demanding their pricing be more transparent.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is cracking down on what he calls deceptive hospital pricing.

"I had to pay a certain amount to my doctor, but then I got to the surgery center, and then I had paid them a certain amount, and now I'm still waiting for a bill for the anesthesiologist," patient Kim Samsel said.

What they're saying:

Samsel says many times the prices for medical procedures may be one price before the procedure takes place, but then afterward the bill is much higher than she could have ever imagined.

"You would think that they would have a certain amount that they can let you know up front of how much it's going to be. It's just been many different things that have added up that makes it that much more impossible to try to pay back," Samsel said.

Since 2017, patient Kim Samsel has been in and out of the hospital for Crohn's disease.

Timeline:

Since 2017, she's been in and out of the hospital for Crohn's disease.

Cases like Samsel's are why Uthmeier announced last month he's launching an investigation to ensure hospitals provide patients with transparent pricing for medical services.

"The big health care industrial complex continues to rake in billions off Americans in their most vulnerable moments. We must protect patients," Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said.

By the numbers:

While Samsel is now in remission, she says she is drowning in about $30,000 worth of medical debt.

According to a study by Nationwide, each year 2 out of 3 Americans delay seeking medical care out of fear of financial ruin.

"Just like any market, services have a price, and patients deserve transparency to make fully informed decisions. Under Florida law, hospitals' failure to provide such disclosures may constitute an unfair and deceptive trade practice," Uthmeier said.

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According to Uthmeier, he's issued subpoenas to multiple Florida hospitals as part of an investigation related to patient charges, billing practices and price transparency, but it's not clear which hospitals have been subpoenaed.

Meanwhile, Samsel says the problem is not only with the prices of certain procedures, but also the costs of certain medications while in the hospital.

"One Benadryl pill was like $40 when I can get an entire 200-count bottle for $2. Not only would I like to see the prices up front, but I would love to see more realistic pricing. The markups that happen are just absolutely ridiculous and insane," Samsel said.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jordan Bowen.

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