Why are hospital and physician charges separate?

You may receive more than one bill for a single visit because Nebraska Medicine clinics are designated as hospital-based outpatient clinics.

Visits to a hospital-based outpatient clinic result in two charges:  

  • Hospital services.
  • Physician services.

Hospital-based outpatient clinics operate under federal guidelines and are a nationally recognized model of care. The designation means the hospital owns the practice and employs the staff who provide patient care.  

Hospital-based clinics are held to higher standards of care and are required to meet The Joint Commission (TJC) accreditation standards for hospitals. TJC standards are stricter than those for non-hospital-based outpatient clinics. 

Related articles

Other common questions on this topic.