Trump calls on Congress to tackle surprise hospital bills

President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Congress to address surprise medical bills, which can leave patients with hundreds of dollars in medical expenses they weren’t expecting.

Surprise bills occur when patients go to a hospital or medical facility that is in their insurance plan’s network, but are unknowingly treated by a provider who does not have a contract with the insurance plan. In many states, including Pennsylvania, out-of-network doctors can bill patients directly for services that aren’t covered by their insurance plan.

Some states, including New Jersey, have established laws or regulations that protect patients from these unexpected costs, which typically arise when patients have little ability to have avoided them.

For example, hospitals commonly supplement their emergency department staff with contracted doctors who aren’t bound by the hospitals’ insurance contracts. Ambulances that respond to emergency calls commonly do not contract with insurers, though patients assume they do. You may have double-checked that the doctor and outpatient clinic performing your colonoscopy is in-network, but what about the anesthesiologist?

“This must end. We’re going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable,” Trump said during an appearance Thursday with patients, Politico reported.

While Republicans and Democrats largely disagree about how to improve the health-care system, surprise medical bills may be an issue on which they can come together.

A bipartisan group of senators is expected to introduce this month a bill that addresses surprise billing, and two of the group’s leaders — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D., N.H.) — attended Trump’s event Thursday, according to the Washington Post.

One approach some states have taken is to require arbitration for insurers and providers to come to an agreement on payment, while holding patients harmless. Last year, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation requiring hospitals to notify patients if they will be treated by an out-of-network provider and setting up an independent arbitration process to settle disputes.

Trump has said he does not support an arbitration approach, but would support charging patients in-network rates even if they’re treated by an out-of-network doctor in an emergency; sending patients a single, consolidated bill; and informing patients in advance of any out-of-network providers, Politico reported.