Effective today, federal law bans many surprise medical bills from ER visits and other out-of-network services.
unless other information "clearly demonstrates" the median in-network rate isn't appropriate, according to the government.
A host of medical providers, including the American Hospital Association and American Medical Association, arethe government. They argue the median in-network rate shouldn't be the guiding factor for the arbiter, and the government went against Congress' intent by doing so. Consumer protection experts have criticized the lawsuits, saying medical providers don't want guardrails on the arbitration system so they can extract higher rates.Because this is a new law, we should expect the health care system won't get everything right.
"We need to be active bill readers and ask a lot of questions to our providers and insurance companies if there's a bill we don't think we should be paying," said Patricia Kelmar, the health care director at consumer protection group U.S. PIRG.Out-of-network doctors also must inform patients about what their care might cost, and they may ask patients toThe law will save a lot of patients from financial ruin. But a lot of gaps remain in the health care system.
Have you been hit with a large or unexpected medical bill? Maybe the overall medical billing experience left you feeling puzzled or upset? Email
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