Tell Congress to Oppose Surprise Bill Compromise

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If you see patients, if you take private insurance, you need to know that Congress is about to let Big Insurance set your fee schedule even lower than it is now... if they let you into their ever-narrowing networks.

The Texas Medical Association strongly urges you to call or email your U.S. representative immediately. Tell him or her you want to protect patients from out-of-network surprise medical bills, but you don’t want to give the health plans more power than they already have.  

Ask your representative to oppose the Alexander-Pallone-Walden “compromise” on surprise bills. Ask him or her to wait for a bill that does it right. 

“There is a right way and a wrong way to protect patients from surprise medical bills. The so-called compromise federal legislation recently announced is definitely the wrong way,” said TMA President David C. Fleeger, MD. “This plan will be bad for our patients and bad for the physicians and hospitals that care for them – but definitely good for the insurance companies. Other, potentially better, bills are waiting in the wings.”

The chair and minority leader (Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands) of the Ways and Means Committee have drafted a new approach. TMA leaders say it looks promising, and they’re asking Congress to wait to see the details of that plan.

“If you think this doesn’t apply to you because you don’t balance-bill your patients, think again. If you take insurance, this affects you,” Dr. Fleeger said. “If the insurance companies get their way and can pay out-of-network physicians based on a ‘median in-network rate,’ I guarantee your in-network rate will drop and narrow networks will get even skimpier.”

Tell your representative there is a way out of the surprise medical bill quagmire. There is a way to protect patients from unexpected bills for emergency or out-of-network care. There is a way that does not tilt the marketplace too far in favor of insurance companies. And there is a way to do it all, and it’s based on a proven model that’s already in place and working in New York state.

You can use the TMA Grassroots Action Center to send your representative a quick and easy email.  

Last Updated On

February 10, 2023

Originally Published On

December 13, 2019