Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Although Surprise Medical Bills Are One Of Few Bipartisan Issues In Congress, Fault Lines Are Starting To Emerge
The Wall Street Journal: Rifts Emerge Over Congressional Move To Curb Surprise Medical Bills
A Congressional plan to tackle surprise medical bills is spurring a furious lobbying campaign and disagreements among Republican lawmakers that could make it difficult to pass the legislation this month. Measures protecting patients from high hospital bills from out-of-network doctors and other health providers has the backing of President Trump, who in May urged lawmakers to take action. Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) is hoping the full Senate will vote this month on a plan that would address surprise bills, after his committee approved it in late June. (Armour and Peterson, 7/10)
Politico Pro: House E&C Subcommittee To Mark Up Bipartisan Surprise Medical Bill lLegislation
House Energy and Commerce leaders late today released revised legislation addressing "surprise" medical bills ahead of a Thursday markup in the panel's health subcommittee. The revised bill doesn’t include major policy differences from an earlier draft. The plan from Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J) and ranking member Greg Walden (R-Ore.) would resolve payment disputes between providers and health plans by establishing a federal benchmark rate, an approach doctors and hospitals oppose. (Roubein, 7/9)
Meanwhile, in California —
The Associated Press: California Takes On Surprise Bills, Over Hospital Objections
Lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures across the country have proposed bills to fix problems like this, especially in emergency situations where patients often cannot choose what hospital treats them. While most people agree patients should not have to pay in these situations, there's little agreement on who should. It's a debate now playing out in the California Legislature that's pitting insurance companies and hospitals against each other. A bill by Assemblyman David Chiu, a San Francisco Democrat, would make sure emergency patients never pay more than their copays or deductibles, even if they are treated at an out-of-network hospital. But the bill would cap what hospitals can charge insurance companies, because advocates and some lawmakers view hospitals as a monopoly with too much power over prices. Chiu said his goal is to keep insurance rates from skyrocketing. (Beam, 7/9)
