KFF Health News March 20, 2025
The routine is familiar for most people: When checking in for an appointment with a doctor or other health care provider, patients typically complete and sign a pile of paperwork, including a form that contains some version of the statement, “I agree to pay for all charges not covered by my insurance company.”
Patients may not feel comfortable making that financial promise, often before they have any idea what the charges will be. But they generally sign the form anyway, because the alternative is often not to get the services they’re seeking.
As a result, consumers may be responsible for unexpected bills and at risk for medical debt.
In New York, state officials, advocates, and the health care provider community...
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