House Committees Release Competing Surprise Medical Billing Legislative Proposals

On February 7, 2020, two House committees released competing proposed bills designed to shield patients from “surprise” medical bills. These bills, like others that were proposed last year, would protect patients from liability for fees charged by out-of-network physicians when patients receive care at in-network emergency departments. The proposal from the House Ways and Means Committee includes a provision to establish an independent mediated negotiation process for reimbursement disputes between providers and insurers, instead of allowing insurers to decide the reimbursement amounts in the first instance. The competing proposal from the House Education and Labor Committee, by contrast, resembles prior proposals that allow insurers to decide reimbursement for out-of-network providers in the first instance. The House will need to reconcile all versions of any bills that pass through the committee before any vote is taken.

Source: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/house-committees-release-competing-47247/