Rochester Surgery Center's Billing Change Impacts Patients After Hospital Integration
Rochester Surgery Center, located in Rochester, N.Y., has altered its patient billing practices as of August 1st, following its integration as an outpatient department of Rochester General Hospital. This change means that services provided at the center are now billed as hospital outpatient services, which can significantly increase patients' out-of-pocket costs depending on their insurance coverage. One patient, Bronson Fuentes, experienced this firsthand when his estimated cost for cubital tunnel syndrome surgery jumped from approximately $140 to nearly $989 just two days before his procedure. Fuentes reported receiving no prior notification about the change in billing or the center's new classification. Rochester Regional Health, the parent organization, stated that the transition aims to integrate the surgery center more fully into Rochester General Hospital, enhancing care coordination, quality oversight, and leveraging the health system's technology and infrastructure. The organization also noted tha... 
