After-Hours ER Care May Come With a Doctor's Surcharge

If an emergency department is open 24 hours a day, why would patients be charged extra for coming in “after hours”? Good question, say experts who help patients decipher and dispute their medical bills. “After-hours surcharges,” as they're sometimes called, should be included in the regular fees charged by emergency physicians for an emergency department visit, they argue. But instead patients sometimes find an additional charge, generally between $30 and $200, tacked onto their bill for visiting overnight.