Out-of-network healthcare delivers significantly higher bills to patients, based on a new America's Health Insurance Plans study, according to CNBC.
The study analyzed 18 billion health claims for 97 common services.
Here are five key notes:
1. The study found patients receiving care from out-of-network physicians get bills 118 percent to 1,382 percent higher than patients in the Medicare system for identical services.
2. The average out-of-network charge for spine disc surgery hit $10,459, which is 640 percent higher than Medicare's $1,414.
3. Medicare pays $147 for a normal outpatient visit, whereas out-of-network physicians charge patients $260 for the same visit.
4. In Rhode Island, out-of-network physicians charged patients more than 500 percent above the Medicare rate.
5. Of the 97 services studied, 57 of them had out-of-network charges of 300 percent or higher than Medicare reimbursement rates.