fee-for-service

noun

fee-for-ser·​vice ˌfē-fər-ˈsər-vəs 

often attributive

: separate payment to a health care provider for each medical service rendered to a patient

Examples of fee-for-service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In today’s fee-for-service system, many tasks GenAI could perform are financially rewarding when done by a clinician. — Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026

The new fee-for-service codes will better accommodate more or fewer visits, either in person or remotely, based on individual needs. — Kff Health News, Oc Register, 5 June 2026

The new fee-for-service codes will better accommodate more or fewer visits, either in person or remotely, based on individual needs. — Michelle Andrews, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Some clinics in the United States operate on a fee-for-service model, and tests and treatments must be paid for out of pocket. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fee-for-service

• interservice
• disservice
• preservice
• nervous
• nervus

Medical Definition

fee-for-service

noun

fee-for-ser·​vice ˌfē-fər-ˈsər-vəs 

: separate payment to a health care provider for each medical service rendered to a patient

—often used attributively

a fee-for-service group plan