Protecting patients from surprise medical bills should be job one. We appreciate the significance of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s surprise bill measure that now recognizes the need to protect patient access to care by offering an arbitration option. The Committee is taking a step in the right direction.
We remain concerned with the precedent embedded in the bill that empowers the federal government to set private rates. We look forward to working with lawmakers to protect patients and further improve the legislation while moving away from unnecessary government intervention.
FAH also sent letters to Committee leaders today outlining support for other important provisions approved in the Committee markup – including the roll back of cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share payments, the reauthorization of the incentive program for nurses to practice in underserved areas and the funding for the important quality and performance measures oversight by the National Quality Forum.
