REPRESENTATIVES MORELLE AND MILLER-MEEKS CALL FOR CHANGES TO PROTECT PATIENTS FROM SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLING

(Washington, DC) —Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY-25) and Congresswoman Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA-02) have partnered on a bipartisan letter calling on administration officials to finalize implementation of the No Surprises Act, legislation which helps protect patients from surprise medical billing.

“The predatory practice of surprise medical billing is yet another example of why our healthcare system doesn’t work for everyday Americans,” said Rep. Morelle. “Patients and their families deserve better than to be blindsided with massive, unexpected medical bills in the middle of an emergency. I was proud to work with my colleagues in Congress to pass the No Surprises Act, and I urge administration officials to finalize implementation of the provisions outlined in the bill to protect patients and bring much-needed peace of mind to families across the country.”

“Americans across the country are struggling right now, the last thing they need is a surprise medical bill. Patients deserve the best treatment, care, and service, not more headaches,” said Rep. Miller-Meeks, M.D. “As a doctor I am strongly encouraging the Administration to follow through on the final implementation of the No Surprises Act, as Congress intended. We need to deliver real results for patients across the country, not more empty words.”

“New York’s hospitals and health systems have long supported protecting patients from surprise medical bills,” said HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD. “We applaud Rep. Morelle’s commitment to ensuring the administration implements the landmark No Surprises Act as Congress intended. Unfortunately, the administration's current approach violates congressional intent to establish a fair and balanced dispute resolution process for payers and providers. Further, despite recent court decisions recognizing that violation, HHS’ lack of regulations has created confusion and uncertainty for patients. Rep. Morelle’s leadership on this important consumer issue is critical and we are grateful for his knowledgeable voice.”

The No Surprises Act, which was implemented as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and was designed explicitly to prevent surprise medical bills from being levied against patients amidst a medical crisis. Specifically, the legislation bans the practice of billing patients for unanticipated out-of-network care, implements an arbitration model to identify a reasonable payment rate when insurers and patients cannot agree on the cost of care, and improves transparency by requiring health plans to clearly identify both patient deductibles and in-network providers. Rep. Morelle and Rep. Miller-Meeks, M.D. were both co-sponsors of the legislation. Unfortunately, final implementation of the bill has been slow to take effect and has faced barriers from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor. Representatives Morelle and Miller-Meeks are urging the Secretaries of these departments to take immediate action to fully implement the provisions outlined in the No Surprises Act to ensure families are not hit with a devastating surprise medical bill.

Read the full text of Representatives Morelle and Miller-Meeks’ letter here, and for more information on the No Surprises Act, read the full text of the consolidated appropriations bill here.