AMDA Joins Others in Urging Congress to Address Surprise Insurance Billing for Patients

AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine joined the American Medical Association and more than 100 national and state medical societies asking Congress to ease the burden on patients as potential legislation is developed to provide relief from health care costs that patients’ insurance will not cover.

In a letter sent to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), the groups urged them to consider several policies to combat surprise billing, including:

• Insurers accountability
• Limits on patient responsibility
• Transparency
• Universality
• Setting benchmark payments
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Keeping patients out of the middle

“The problem of unanticipated out-of-network bills is complex and requires a balanced approach to resolve. In addition to providing strong patient protections, we believe the principles set forth above would improve transparency, promote access to appropriate medical care, and avoid creating disincentives for insurers and health care providers to negotiate network participation contracts in good faith,” the letter stated.

Click here  to read the entire letter.