Physicians show strong support for house effort to protect patients from surprise medical bills

Reviewed by Kate Anderton, B.Sc. (Editor)Jun 29 2019

Out of the Middle, a coalition of leading health care providers, applauds today's introduction of the bipartisan Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act. This is the only legislative framework before Congress that takes patients out of the middle of medical billing disputes, continues to ensure patients have access to health care services when and where they need them, and provides a level playing field for physicians and insurers.

The Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act directly addresses the root cause of surprise bills- inadequate insurance networks- and includes robust patient protections such as making sure people only pay in-network amounts for care, whether the care provided was in- or out-of-network. The bill also makes it easier for patients to understand the limits of their insurance coverage, protects their choice of doctor and preserves access to planned and emergency care.

Once patients are protected, this bill goes further than other legislative proposals to encourage transparency from insurance companies and ensure fair and efficient dispute resolution between physicians and insurers. This independent process protects patients' access to care, without adding cost, bureaucracy, or delay.

On behalf of the millions of patients we care for each day, Out of the Middle applauds the efforts of Representatives Ruiz, Roe, Bera, Morelle, Taylor, Bucshon, Shalala, and Wenstrup to protect Americans from surprise bills when their insurance coverage fails them.

Out of the Middle represents thousands of physicians across the country who are advocating on behalf of the millions of patients they care for every day and demanding Congress protect these patients from surprise medical bills without letting insurance companies dodge their responsibility to cover their care.

The coalition comprises the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Anesthesiologists, College of American Pathologists, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.