This afternoon FAH President and CEO Chip Kahn and AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack sent a joint letter to leaders in Congress addressing the issue of surprise billing highlighting the need to find a solution that first and foremost protects patients.

The letter states in part:
 
“We strongly believe that any public policy solution to resolve surprise bills must protect patients by prohibiting balance billing and by limiting patients’ cost-sharing to an in-network amount.
 
“The AHA and the FAH are working together and with our respective memberships to develop specific solutions to these challenges. We are evaluating issues including, but not limited to:

• How we protect the broadest range of patients, including those in self-insured plans;
• How cost-sharing should be determined for out-of-network care so that patients have certainty about their financial obligations;
• The role of network adequacy requirements and enforcement in ensuring patients have sufficient access to in-network care; and
• Once the patient is protected, whether policy interventions are needed to determine fair provider payment.

“We appreciate that this is a high priority issue for Congress, as it is for us, and we intend to provide more specific feedback to policymakers early in the new Congress.”

You can find a complete copy of the letter here.