AHA, FAH comment on surprise billing principles

Nine health insurance, employer and consumer organizations today proposed guiding principles for federal legislative action to protect patients from surprise medical bills. Commenting on the principles, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack and Federation of American Hospitals President and CEO Chip Kahn said, “Hospitals and health systems want to protect their patients from surprise bills. Consumers, health insurers, employers and hospitals all agree on that and need to find a common ground solution. Inadequate health plan provider networks that limit patient access to emergency care is one of the root causes of surprise bills. Patients should be confident that they can seek immediate lifesaving care at any hospital. The hospital community wants to ensure that patients are protected from surprise gaps in coverage that result in surprise bills, and we look forward to working with policymakers to achieve this goal.”