The Forgiveness of Coinsurance

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Abstract
IN forgiving coinsurance, a health care provider agrees to accept a third-party payer's reimbursement as sole and total compensation for services rendered. The practice is common; a recent survey suggested that 23 percent of patients with fee-for-service health insurance had a health care provider waive an insurance copayment — the patient's share of the bill — within the previous three years.1 In many cases the impetus is noble; needy patients are spared out-of-pocket expenses that might have resulted in financial hardship. In other settings the motivation may be less altruistic. In a competitive environment, for example, the forgiveness of coinsurance . . .