Published by: Administrator
In recent years, there has been a growing trend in the healthcare industry towards waiving patients' cost-sharing responsibilities. Cost sharing refers to the portion of healthcare costs that patients are required to pay out-of-pocket, such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
While waiving these costs may seem beneficial to patients, healthcare providers, and even insurers in certain situations, it also raises important ethical and legal considerations.
Health plan contracts and network agreements always limit or preclude participating providers from waiving member/patient balances.
Health plans require members/patients to pay their share regardless of whether the provider is in-network or out-of-network.
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