"One major driver of these costs is hospital pricing abuse, which often goes unnoticed but is devastating to California's small business communities. Large hospital systems have used their market dominance to drive up the prices they charge commercial payers, often billing them more than three times what Medicare pays for the same care. Those inflated costs fall squarely on the shoulders of small businesses and working families through higher premiums and lower take-home pay."
"For many small business owners, offering health insurance is already one of their biggest expenses. Nearly half of small businesses in a survey by Small Business Majority say rising healthcare premiums place a major financial burden on their business. Two-thirds say it is at least a moderate burden. When hospital bills keep rising, it becomes nearly impossible for small firms to continue providing coverage to their employees."
"Rising hospital bills persist in part because hospitals block the transparency. Hospitals often hide the true cost of care behind opaque billing practices and gag clauses that keep employers from seeing what they're actually paying. And, according to Small Business Majority's research, as many as 58% of small business owners have had hidden facility fees tacked onto their hospital bills. These fees allow hospitals to charge more for the same services if they are provided in a facility owned by a hospital."
Rising healthcare costs are driven in part by hospital pricing abuse and market concentration that enable large hospital systems to charge commercial payers more than three times Medicare rates for the same care. Inflated hospital prices raise premiums and reduce employee take-home pay, making health insurance one of the largest expenses for many small businesses. Nearly half of small businesses report rising premiums as a major financial burden and two-thirds report at least a moderate burden. Escalating hospital bills push small firms to cut wages, reduce benefits, and limit growth, while opaque billing practices, gag clauses, and hidden facility fees further conceal true costs.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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