Variation in Emergency Department vs Internal Medicine Excess Charges in the United States

Importance

Uninsured and insured but out-of-network emergency department (ED) patients are often billed hospital chargemaster prices, which exceed amounts typically paid by insurers.

Objective

To examine the variation in excess charges for services provided by emergency medicine and internal medicine physicians.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective analysis was conducted of professional fee payment claims...