The cost of an outpatient visit to a physician’s office, urgent care center, or emergency department depends in part on the level of service provided. Providers and facilities generally charge higher prices for more complex visits, and insurers pay larger reimbursements.
Patients with deductibles or co-insurance may have higher out-of-pocket costs for more complex visits, too.
Although there are standardized guidelines for how to determine the complexity of a visit, there is a trend towards visits being billed at higher levels over time, reports Health System Tracker. This could reflect increases in actual acuity and the intensity of services required, or changes in billing practices, or both. Read more.
