December 2019
End Surprise Medical
Billing to Protect Our
Working Families
By Chuck Hadden • MMA
When Americans consider
what makes a good job, naturally
they think of take-home pay. But
they also know that employers
contribute much more in support
of their employees, including
health care benefits that ensure
workers are healthy, happy and
productive on the job.
Nearly half of all U.S. citizens
are covered by their employers.
Michigan’s manufacturers are proud
to provide the best possible health
care benefits for workers — and
that is why they also work in
support of reforms that help keep
rising health care costs in check,
so they can continue supporting
their employees.
One of the most pressing health
care issues today is known as
MiMfg Magazine
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To address this problem,
Congress should advance federal
legislation that will establish
market-based benchmark rates for
out-of-network medical services,
so costs are kept in check.
A bill in the Senate, S 1895,
the Lower Health Care Costs Act
of 2019, is a good model as it
would establish benchmark rates
based on local marketplaces while
avoiding implementing any kind
of arbitration system.
Immediate action by Congress
is necessary to protect patients in
Michigan and around the country
while keeping health care costs
reasonable for employers. Michigan’s
manufacturers urge our state’s
congressional delegation to make
ending surprise medical bills a top
legislative priority.
“surprise medical billing.” This
practice occurs when an insured
patient sees an out-of-network
provider, oftentimes without their
knowledge, and that provider sends
them a bill that may be hundreds
or even thousands of dollars —
and well above the actual market
rate for the service in the area.
Under the current system,
when medical service providers
treat patients who are out of their
network, they are free to charge
the patient with outrageously
high medical bills. This can lead
to heartbreaking scenarios. On a
regular basis, employers face
situations in which a valued
employee is facing an extremely
difficult financial strain from a
surprise medical bill. Some are
able to intervene on the employ-
ee’s behalf, but others are not able
to take on the cost of the bill
without dealing a serious blow to
their operations. It is a tragic
situation for everyone involved.
This originally appeared as an opinion
piece in the 11/20/19 Lansing State Journal.
Read the full article at mimfg.org .
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