LIKE A “RESORT FEE” FOR A HOTEL YOU DON’T WANT TO STAY IN: Patients are being hit with this surprise fee just for seeing their doc. Patients are being hit with this surprise fee just for seeing their doc. “Facility fees are intended to help hospitals offset their high overhead costs, including overnight care, use of specialized equipment and other expenses that make them costly to run. But when hospitals acquire independent physician clinics that don’t face hospital-scale expenses, patients may still be hit with those charges even in outpatient settings.”