Latest
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Hybrid Approach to Resolving Payment Disputes Breaks Legislative Stalemates Over Balance Billing, How Will the No Surprises Act Affect These New State Laws?
In December 2020, Congress enacted the No Surprises Act, which is designed to protect all Americans from surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers. But many states did not wait for federal action. Seven states enacted new surprise billing laws in 2020; five of these provide comprehensive protections. These laws raised the total number of states with protections to 33, including…
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States Can Prevent Surprise Bills for Patients Seeking Coronavirus Care
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic raises the stakes in the debate over surprise medical bills. Consumers’ fear of incurring medical bills could lead some to avoid testing or treatment. While new federal laws require insurers to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and the associated medical visit, that protection does not extend to treatment. Nor does it prevent balance…
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Update on Federal Surprise Billing Legislation: New Bills Contain Key Differences
In their latest post for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, Jack Hoadley, Beth Fuchs, and Kevin Lucia examine the current status of congressional efforts to protect consumers from surprise medical billing. Four committees have crafted competing proposals. While all would help ensure that consumers do not face surprise bills beyond what they would pay in…
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New Georgetown Report: Insurance Brokers’ Perspectives on Changes to Individual Health Insurance
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) ushered in a range of consumer protections designed to make it easier for individuals to obtain affordable, adequate health insurance in the individual market. In many states, however, individual market consumers have faced increasingly limited plan choices, relatively narrow provider networks, and rising unsubsidized premiums. In the past year, policy…