One April 2nd, 2019, United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a meeting “Examining Surprise Billing: Protecting Patients from Financial Pain”. In an effort to provide you with a quick review, our Regulatory Department has provided some takeaways for you:
Takeaways Notes
- The witnesses testifying from Brookings Institution, American Benefits Council, Family’s USA, and Georgetown University Health and Policy Institute favored insurers over providers.
- Studies from the Brookings Institution, Kaiser Family Foundation, and individual state studies were mentioned.
- The 80th percentile of UCR was mentioned once while the conversation of reimbursing providers 125% of Medicare was mentioned well over 50 times.
Analysis
- States that currently have balance billing legislation may consider reforming current laws based on the impacts of the federal legislative route. Meaning, States may take a “watch and see” approach with the success or failure of the federal legislation before they decide to reform or tackle the issue.
- Federal legislation may mirror current balance billing legislation in California, New York, and Connecticut.
Our team will continue to monitor legislative and regulatory changes to keep you informed.