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

The sweeping changes, if passed by the state legislature, would consolidate all Medicaid billing under a fee-for-service model through which the state directly pays providers for services rendered. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026

This contrasts with the government’s traditional Medicare, which pays providers on a procedure-by-procedure basis under a fee schedule known as fee-for-service or FFS. —Medora Lee, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026

Throughout its evolution, the program has succeeded admirably, providing stability, predictability, choice, and filling gaps left by traditional fee-for-service Medicare. —Donna Shalala, STAT, 5 Feb. 2026

Under Indiana's previous fee-for-service Medicaid system, the state paid providers directly for services Medicaid-eligible Hoosiers used, which is less predictable for the state's budget and meant those seniors potentially had to navigate multiple systems to get care. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 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