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ASNC Urges Congress to Address Surprise Billing
Last month, ASNC and a broad coalition of medical societies including the American Medical Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, and American College of Surgeons sent a letter to Congress outlining principles to follow in legislation addressing surprise billing.
A “surprise medical bill” refers to charges that arise when a patient inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider, such as when a patient receives scheduled surgery at an in-network hospital but other participating providers (e.g., anesthesiologists) are not in-network.The coalition urged Congress to develop legislation that encompasses the following principles:
- Insurer accountability
- Limits on patient financial responsibility
- Transparency
- Universality
- Setting benchmark payments
- Alternative dispute resolution
- Keeping patients out of the middle.
Due to the bipartisan and White House interest in this issue, substantial Congressional action is likely.