Report Finds Patient Share of Large Hospital Bills Surging
An Oct. 26 report from Cedar and the Health Management Academy finds patient responsibility for large, slow-to-resolve hospital balances jumped to 49.3% in early 2026, up from 37.5% a year earlier, while smaller bills saw little change. The analysis, based on Cedar billing data and interviews with CFOs and revenue cycle leaders at five health systems, estimates roughly $28 million shifted from insurers to patients on comparable care volume, driven largely by high-deductible plans and coinsurance. Insured "underinsured" patients who exceed charity-care income thresholds but still face thousands in out-of-pocket costs are identified as a growing coverage gap. Some systems responded by raising charity-care income thresholds and deploying flexible digital payment tools, reporting measurable gains in collections and reduced bad debt.