Joint Statement from AHA and FAH on the Principles on Surprise Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 10, 2018) – Below is a joint statement from the American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack and the Federation of American Hospitals President and CEO Chip Kahn on the Principles on Surprise Bills:

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.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks and other providers of care. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the website at www.aha.org.

About the FAH

The Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), founded in 1966, is the national representative of more than 1,000 investor-owned or managed community hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. Our members include hospitals in urban and rural America, as well as inpatient rehabilitation, psychiatric, long-term acute care, and cancer hospitals. Investor-owned hospitals serve their communities proudly while providing high-quality health care to their patients. For more information, visit – FAH.org.

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Contact:        

Colin Milligan, American Hospital Association (AHA), (202) 638-5491

Sean Brown, Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), (202) 624-1527