OUT-OF-NETWORK: END OF SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS FOR PATIENTS?

(Andrew Burton / New York Times)    Congress included legislation in the coronavirus relief bill that may be good even after the pandemic is past.  "It contains a ban on surprise medical bills that happen when patients unexpectedly receive care from an out-of-network health provider. Instead of sending those charges to patients, hospitals and doctors will now need to work with health insurers to settle the bills."  Emily Cochrane, Congress Reaches Deal on Virus Aid, Ending an Impasse, NEW YORK TIMES, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, p. A1.

This new piece of legislation may have little to do with the pandemic, but we do not want to give it back.  This is probably the last legislative package that this Congress will pass.  A new Congress takes its seats on January 3d.  So, this may have been now-or-never legislation.

We will see how the reporting and thinking about this plays out over time.  For now, we should be happy it is in the bill that Congress is likely to pass and send to the president for signature to become law.

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