Across the nation, hospitals are driving up healthcare costs through monopolistic practices and predatory billing that leaves patients with impossible choices: skip necessary care, travel hours for affordable treatment, or face sky-high bills.

From California to Virginia, we’ve heard stories of hospitals charging patients four to five times what Medicare pays for the same services, tacking on facility fees, and using their market dominance to eliminate competition and raise prices unchecked. Patients report being “frightened” to seek care at their only local option, while hospital acquisitions of independent practices have triggered price increases of 300% or more for identical services.