Congressional Hearing on Surprise Medical Billing
January 1, 2019
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The Frame
The hearing addresses the financial burden on patients who receive unexpected, high-cost medical bills for services provided by doctors at facilities they believed were covered by their insurance.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Patients
Patients are the primary group facing unexpected financial liability for medical services provided by out-of-network clinicians.
Health Insurance Providers
Insurers are involved in the negotiation and payment processes for out-of-network claims.
Medical Providers
Physicians and hospitals are involved in billing practices and network participation agreements.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Why It Matters
The hearing addresses the financial burden on patients who receive unexpected, high-cost medical bills for services provided by doctors at facilities they believed were covered by their insurance.
Key Facts
- The hearing was held on April 2, 2019, by the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
- The primary subject was 'surprise billing,' which occurs when patients are treated by out-of-network providers at in-network facilities.
- Four expert witnesses provided testimony regarding the causes and potential policy remedies for surprise billing.
- Numerous medical and industry organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association, submitted written statements for the record.
- The hearing serves as a foundational record for legislative discussions regarding patient financial protections in the 116th Congress.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is surprise billing?
What was the purpose of this hearing?
News Coverage
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Bipartisan focus on surprise billing
The hearing demonstrates a high level of engagement from both sides of the aisle on the specific issue of surprise billing in 2019.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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