Making Billing More Balanced: Congress Considers Surprise Billing Legislation

The widespread call to severely curb or end "surprise" medical bills prompted competing federal legislation during the summer and fall of 2019. The negotiations, maneuvering, and bill markups have continued into this year. Similar to a new Texas law governing state-regulated plans, federal proposals would ban balance billing and remove patients from having any role in out-of-network payment disputes. But with insurer-friendly language lurking in many of those proposals, Dr. Fleeger warns the impact of such legislation could go well beyond out-of-network payment.