surprise billing

The Texas Two-Step: Implementation of State Balance Billing Law Reveals Gaps in Consumer Protections

Posted February 3, 2020 by Rachel Schwab

In Congress and state legislatures across the country, policymakers are debating fixes to surprise medical bills. The federal government has yet to enact comprehensive reforms, but a number of states have taken steps to protect consumers. One such state is Texas, which last year enacted a new law holding consumers harmless in situations that commonly lead to surprise medical bills. However, the state’s new protections were almost gutted due to an implementation loophole, a cautionary tale for federal and state policymakers. CHIR’s Rachel Schwab takes a look at what happened in Texas.

Update on Federal Surprise Billing Legislation: Understanding a Flurry of New Proposals

Posted January 2, 2020 by CHIR Faculty

In their latest piece for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, Jack Hoadley, Beth Fuchs, and Kevin Lucia assess the end-of-year flurry of congressional proposals to protect consumers from surprise balance billing, as well as prospects for future compromise.

Protecting Patients from Air Ambulance Surprise Balance Bills – Where Are We Now?

Posted December 13, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

A recently released report by the Health Care Cost Institute finds that the average price of an air ambulance trip has increased significantly from 2008 to 2017, a Department of Transportation advisory commission is studying the industry’s billing practices, and legislation is pending in Congress to protect patients from surprise bills sent by air ambulance companies. CHIR’s Maanasa Kona and Sabrina Corlette provide an update on the recent activity.

Navigator Guide FAQ of the Week: Help for Consumers Navigating a Surprise Balance Bill

Posted November 15, 2019 by Maanasa Kona

We are now two weeks into Open Enrollment for 2020 health insurance coverage. As consumer look at provider networks and choose their health coverage, the issue of surprise billing may be top of mind. This week, we answer two questions to help consumers avoid and respond to a surprise medical bill.

Disputes over Dispute Resolution: Analyses of New York & California-style Surprise Billing Protections Offer Divergent Pictures

Posted September 27, 2019 by

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has a new analysis of legislation that would protect patients from surprise medical bills and help settle physician-insurer payment disputes through an arbitration process. CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette takes a look at their projections and three recent assessments of the effect of balance billing laws in New York and California

Comparing Federal Legislation on Surprise Billing

Posted September 23, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

Legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills is advancing on a bipartisan basis in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To The Point blog, CHIR experts provide an updated analysis of the bills and compare key provisions.

CHIR Launches New Resource Center for Policymakers on Surprise Medical Bills

Posted September 18, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

CHIR experts have launched a new project to provide policymakers with a dedicated, independent resource for unbiased and comprehensive information on the issue of surprise medical bills. Leveraging our experience advising state insurance regulators and monitoring surprise medical bill legislation in all 50 states and before Congress, our goal is to help policymakers protect consumers, promote affordability, and adopt comprehensive surprise medical bill protections.

August Research Round Up: What We’re Reading

Posted September 9, 2019 by Olivia Hoppe

This August, CHIR’s Olivia Hoppe summarized helpful resources on premiums and cost-sharing for working families, interventions to increase enrollment, the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on coverage gaps, and surprise billing prevalence.

Will it Fly? Wyoming Attempts End Run Around High Air Ambulance Prices

Posted August 21, 2019 by

Air ambulance charges are a significant source of surprise out-of-network bills for many patients, with charges running into 5 figures. States have been frustrated in their efforts to protect consumers in this context due to a federal law preempting regulation of air carrier prices, including air ambulances. However, the state of Wyoming may have hit on a unique solution – effectively making air ambulance a public utility. Will it work? CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette takes a look.

Successfully Splitting the Baby: Design Considerations for Federal Balance Billing Legislation

Posted July 18, 2019 by CHIR Faculty

The U.S. Congress is advancing legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills. Yet consensus on how to resolve payment disputes between providers and health plans has been difficult to reach. In their latest post for the Health Affairs Blog, Sabrina Corlette, Jack Hoadley, and Kevin Lucia break down different policy approaches, their pros and cons, and how recent state action could suggest a path forward.