Opinion: Using states as living laboratories to solve surprise medical billing
Although surprise billing has been the subject of vigorous debate in federal and state legislatures, work to resolve the issue on the federal level reached an impasse when the House passed a spending package that did not include anticipated surprise bill legislation.
Surprise bills are those sent to consumers from out-of-network providers for emergency services or for nonemergency services unexpectedly rendered by an out-of-network provider, typically at an in-network facility. While there is widespread agreement that consumers should be protected from paying more for a surprise bill than they would for an in-network bill, there is spirited debate about how to determine the amount that health plans should pay out-of-network providers for such care.
