Research Shows Hospital Outpatient Centers Don't Charge the Max Allowed

A $100 increase in a fee schedule's reimbursement doesn't always mean a $100 increase in the price of the medical service. At hospital outpatient centers, it means just a $75 increase, on average, according to a new study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The report analyzed hospital outpatient charges versus the maximum allowed reimbursement in 16 states' workers' compensation systems. It found that, on average, insurers end up paying about three-fourths of what the fee schedule allows. That's especially true when states regularly update their fee sched...