Help Us Report on Sneaky Medical Bills

There’s a big, expensive change happening to medical bills. We’re reporting on it. It’s a big project. And we need your help.

Our story is about “facility fees.” For a long time, these fees were something like a cover charge for going to the hospital or emergency room—you paid it just for walking in the door. These fees can be thousands of dollars.

But now patients are seeing these fees for treatments that don’t happen in emergency rooms, or in hospitals at all. This is usually because a hospital has bought up a doctor’s office, and they add the fee to bills.

We’ve reported on these fees before, here and here. Our new story will go deeper into what these fees are, why they’re charged, and what you can do about it.
Some states have passed laws trying to rein in facility fees for stuff that doesn’t happen at hospitals. But it’s really hard to tell if providers are even following those rules. That’s why we need to hear from you.

With the form below, tell us about your experience with facility fees. We also have a place where you can safely upload your bill. If you have any questions, check out our FAQ below, and feel free to write to us.

Together, we can get to the bottom of this.

And this isn’t just for one project. We want to share more of your stories – the experiences you and your people have had with our screwed-up health care system – into our work. You’ll hear more episodes, with more stories from you, throughout the year. And it starts here.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Phone Number (in case we want to reach out about being on the show)

Where do you live? (You can be as specific or as general as you want)

Please tell us your story—what was the visit and what was the charge? *

How would you like us to attribute this information if we use it for our reporting? *

• Full name is fine
• Please just use my first name
• Please don't use my name, I just want you to have this information

Would you like to upload your bill now or email it to us? We will not share your private information without contacting you first. *Upload NowI'll send it to info@armandalegshow.com

You'll get a link to send your bill once you hit "submit."

Submit

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?

We are An Arm and a Leg, a reporting project about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can (maybe) do about it. We’re reporting a story about facility fees at doctors’ offices, and we’re looking for stories from people who have been charged those fees.

What will you do with this information?

We want to know how often these fees are charged and how high they are. By filling out the form and sending us a copy of your bill, you’ll help us tell this story. We’ll discuss the bills you’ve received and we’ll try to answer your questions. And you may end up on the show. We’ll reach out to record interviews with some people who share their stories with us.

Why do you need to see my bill?

Facility fees can vary from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. To tell the story of these charges, we need to see the bills. We aren’t harvesting your data and we won’t share your contact information. We’re only interested in the charges.

How are you telling the story?

We will cover this topic across our platforms. If we decide to feature your story, we’ll contact you to record an interview. We may also share anonymized information based on what you tell us. That might sound like “Someone in Wisconsin was charged $700 for a doctor’s office visit where they were given a single Band-Aid and sent home.”

Who will see what I send you?

We will keep your information private, and only members of our editorial team who work on the story will have access to it. You can learn more about our team here.

What can I do to help?

You can share this form. Email it to people you know. Post this link to social media.

What if I have more questions?

If you have any other questions, email us at info@armandalegshow.com.