Facility Fee Reform: States Can Protect Household Budgets Without Upending Hospital Budgets Christine H. Monahan Amy Killelea Caroline Picher April 15, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/facility-fee-reform-states-can-protect-household-budgets-without-upending-hospital Affordability is at the forefront of health care policy in 2026. One pain point for consumers and focus area for policy makers is the relatively higher prices for services provided in hospital outpatient settings compared to those same services when provided in physician office settings. This pricing difference is, in part, driven by use of facility fees that hospitals charge in addition to professional service fees.