MEDICAL BILLING NEWS
Keep abreast of news and information on medical billing and its impact on patients and consumers.
Archives - February and March, 2024
Hanna Castle opened up about the cost of her babies’ NICU care in a viral video.
- ABC News
Consumer advocates in Oregon are praising recently passed legislation they say changes the landscape on debt collection.
- Public News Service
Consumers who don’t want to overpay for medical services and prescriptions need to carefully check health care providers’ bills and insurance company decisions.
- The Post ad Courier
- KFF News
A new proposal before Maine’s Legislature would regulate hidden and unexpected hospital charges that can add hundreds of dollars to routine medical bills.
- Portland Press Herald
State lawmakers took action following a 13News investigation highlighting a nationwide problem.
- WTHR 13
The state has adopted ambitious policies to help consumers. Some lawmakers want to do more.
- Colorado Newsline
- Des Moines Register
A California bill, SB 1061, seeks to block healthcare providers and collection agencies from sharing a patient’s medical debt with credit reporting agencies.
- L.A. Times
If you ride in an ambulance, you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars. But new solutions recommended at the state and federal levels aim to change that.
- ABC Denver 7
Patients in Florida could soon get clearer information up front on what their care costs and whether their copay is more expensive than paying out of pocket, and then be able to more easily dispute those charges, if a bill that just passed the state Senate becomes law.
- Miami Herald
Community Catalyst, an issue advocacy group, will be pressing President Biden and like-minded lawmakers to take more action on medical debt in a new ad campaign set to start Thursday.
- The Hill
Ronika Allen said she is still getting bills from ARA Diagnostic Imaging, which have added up to an outstanding balance in the thousands.
- KVUE
- PatientRightsAdvocate.org
He said he was fighting the bill, which had been "mentally taxing."
- Business Insider
This report is an update to KXAN’s “Medical Debt Lawsuits” investigation.
- KXAN
The $81,739.40 bill for her mother's air-ambulance ride arrived less than two weeks after she died, Alicia Wieberg said.
- NPR
It seems scammers are always finding new ways to trick people, and when it comes to paying a bill, it's important to ask questions first.
- WESH
Oklahomans facing medical debt lawsuits could get some relief under a bill advanced by a House committee on Thursday.
- Oklahoma Watch
The Washington House is set to vote on a policy that would prevent ground ambulance services from billing patients for the remaining amount not covered by their insurance.
- News Break
Legislation is being worked on at the Indiana Statehouse that would protect Hoosiers from surprise ambulance bills.
- WIBC
- northjersey.com
- KFF Health
Texas legislation serves as a model for other states and a potential federal statute regulating surprise billing for ambulance rides nationwide.
- D Magazine
“I was very much in shock,” she said. “I went through all seven stages of grief. I started crying. I thought there must be a mistake.
- Tampa Bay Times
- Colorado Sun
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray learned that ambulance rides were intentionally exempt from the surprise billing law that Congress passed in 2021.
- WSB-TV
KPRC 2 Investigates looks into new bill, who it impacts and what you should do if you get a surprise bill
- KPRC
A new state law is cracking down on surprise ambulance bills. It comes with new protections for consumers. Here's how it could affect you.
- ABC7 Bay Area
Lawmakers hope to make insurance plans cough up the cash for ambulance transports.
- Indiana Capital Chronicle
The No Surprises Act, the landmark law intended to protect patients from surprise out-of-network medical bills, has come with, well, some surprises. A little more than two years after it took effect, there’s good and bad news about how it’s working.
- KFF Health News
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he will support a bill that would remove interest on medical debt and ban hospitals from withholding care to patients due to outstanding debt.
- Pioneer Press
New legislation in Minnesota will include a package of reforms aimed at easing the burden of unpaid medical bills.
- KARE 11
California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability has a mandate to control price increases. It’s proposing a target that’s among the most aggressive in America.
- CalMatters
Brittany was shocked when she got her Explanation of Benefits from the insurance company, indicating Banner should have only charged her $2,000, which is a $5,000 difference.
- KTVK/KPHO