Rhode Island Working to Address Surprise Medical Billing

Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced legislation to help residents with medical billing. Democratic Rep. Robert Craven introduced a bill H5012 that would create a system to resolve medical billing disputes. The legislation aims to address unexpected insurance charges from emergency room visits and other services by out-of-network providers. H5012 is modeled after similar laws passed in states such as Connecticut, New York and Florida, which have enacted laws to protect against or prohibit balance billing practices. Rhode Island’s health insurance commissioner will be responsible for creating a process for disputed medical billing cases if the bill passes.