Lawmakers OK Two Surprise Billing Fixes, Seek Compromise

Legislation to protect patients against surprise medical bills is once again gaining momentum in Congress, with two key House committees voting to advance proposals. However, passage of competing bills by the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee also emphasized the policy divide between lawmakers and stakeholders on the main sticking point: how to decide rates for out-of-network providers.

Education and Labor, which approved its bill on Feb. 11 with a bipartisan majority, would set payments for providers by basing them on regional benchmarks, while still giving providers the option of going to arbitration for bills higher than $750. Ways and Means, meanwhile, backed mediation between insurers and providers to set rates, again on a bipartisan vote. That panel also threw in a new twist: a provision designed to rein in private equity firms that have purchased physician practices.

0 Comments
© 2023 MMIT
Freelance Reporter

Freelance Reporter Freelance Reporter

Related Posts

doctor-holding-patient-hands
June 2

As COVID-Related Policies Expire, Health Coverage May Reshuffle

READ MORE
medicaid-application
June 2

CMS Tells States to Slow Down Medicaid Disenrollment as Florida, Arkansas Reports Raise Alarm

READ MORE
medical-billing
June 2

Stymied in Bid to Expand Site-Neutral Pay Policies, Payers Support Transparent Billing

READ MORE

GAIN THERAPEUTIC AREA-SPECIFIC INTEL TO DRIVE ACCESS FOR YOUR BRAND

Sign up for publications to get unmatched business intelligence delivered to your inbox.

subscribe today