MEDICAL BILLING NEWS
Keep abreast of news and information on medical billing and its impact on patients and consumers.
Archives - April, 2023
More than half of physicians continue to treat patients and develop a payment plan when patients cannot pay their bills, according to Medscape's"Physician Compensation Report" for 2023.
- Becker's Healthcare
In Colorado, House lawmakers approved a measure Wednesday, April 12, that would lower the maximum interest rate for medical debt to 3%, require greater transparency in costs of treatment and prohibit debt collection during an appeals process.
- The North State Journal
U.S. Senators grilled the executives of three major credit reporting bureaus Thursday on whether their practices are transparent and fair to consumers, with Democrats frequently pressing the CEOs to remove medical debt from the reports.
- Idaho Capital Sun
Health care prices in Indiana are among the highest in the nation. Two bills aiming to lower hospital and prescription drug prices in Indiana passed both the House and Senate and are now headed to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk.
- WFYI
Mayo Clinic and other hospitals say “facility fees” help with building overhead costs, but consumer advocates say that the fees are a tactic to boost revenue and squeeze money out of patients.
- Post Bulletin
Mark Brighton recently received a bill for the more than 24 hours he spent on a gurney in a hospital emergency room hallway.
- Portsmouth Herald
When she was pregnant with her twins, Sara Walsh was diagnosed with a serious complication and had to pay thousands upfront before a specialist would see her.
- NPR
Legislation to strengthen hospital price transparency and regulate how large health care facilities collect medical debt inched closer to passage in the North Carolina Senate on Tuesday.
- The Center Square
Lawmakers are reviving efforts to give the Federal Trade Commission authority to investigate nonprofit hospitals for anticompetitive behavior.
- Becker's Healthcare
Federal committee set to consider covering "ambulance gap"
- Denver7
- Becker's Healthcare
Indiana legislators want to lower healthcare costs for Hoosiers. The Indiana Hospital Association worries it could negatively impact hospitals and patients.
- The Herald Bulletin
The 2020 law, which allows for price transparency in medical billing, has been largely successful in protecting consumers, though gaps remain, say stakeholders.
- ALM Benefits Pro
A doctor’s bill revealing an “expensive” charge for an alcohol screening has gone viral, provoking complaints from the public.
- The drinks business
An Oregon bill bolstering patients' protections from medical debt has passed the state House.
- Becker's Healthcare
A North Carolina medical debt protection bill that stalled last year has been reintroduced in the state Senate, The Carolina Journal reported April 21.
- Becker's Healthcare
A California assemblywoman has introduced a bill that would prohibit surprise medical bills for ground ambulance services.
- Becker's Healthcare
Pulling together and working hard to make big decisions, we were able to pay off $500,000 worth of medical debt and put ourselves on the path to overcoming numerous additional financial difficulties along the way.
- Yahoo Finance
Ledesma said in 2018 she had to be hospitalized for a severe bacterial infection. She had insurance but was billed more than $2,000 out of pocket. She repeatedly asked the hospital for an itemized invoice but only received vague bills, she said.
- KXAN
In 2014, Lisa French had spinal surgery. Before the operation, she was told she would have to pay $1,337 in out-of-pocket costs and that her insurance would cover the rest. However, the hospital ended up sending French a bill for $229,000. When she didn’t pay, it sued her. The case went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court.
- KHN "An Arm and a Leg"
None of Colorado's largest hospitals is fully complying with federal laws from 2021 requiring prices to be publicly posted online
- Colorado Politics
A Colorado family says they were sent to collections for a medical bill they never received from a doctor they never met.
- Denver7
The payer and hospital price transparency landscape is “moving past the point of reluctant acceptance” as more healthcare organizations become compliant and vendors look to build on the available data, Turquoise Health CEO Chris Severn said in a state-of-the-industry report released by the price transparency data startup.
- Fierce Healthcare
A report published in Health Affairs revealed that approximately 28% of emergency ground ambulance trips could result in a potential surprise bill, leaving patients with unexpected and excessive charges. Now, Texas lawmakers are taking action to address the issue.
- KBTX
Lawmakers passed the No Surprises Act in an attempt to eradicate surprise billing, but providers warn about the effect the law may have on provider networks.
- HealthPayerIntelligence
It should be much harder for hospitals to go after people to collect on medical debt, especially since hospitals already make billions of dollars by deducting those losses from their taxes, state political leaders said.
- WRAL
State lawmakers on Wednesday discussed a bipartisan bill filed in the House and Senate that seeks to protect North Carolinians from financial ruin due to medical debt.
- News & Observer
The federal No Surprises Act “appears” to be effectively protecting patients from the most frequent sources of unexpected medical bills, though several coverage gaps such as those relating to ground ambulance services are still leaving some patients with hefty bills, according to a new qualitative report.
- Fierce Healthcare
A new initiative from the three major reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — will remove medical collection debt from U.S. consumer credit reports if the initial reported balance is less than $500
- GOBanking
New Paragraphbill to prevent consumers from being charged an out-of-network surprise bill for ground ambulance services passed the Assembly Emergency Management Committee with a bipartisan 6-0 vote.
- Sierra Sun Times
Patients report receiving bills that insurance already paid
- Durango Herald
Over 12% of Coloradans are in collections for medical debt, totaling $1.3 billion statewide
- Colorado Politics
U.S. lawmakers propose bills to tackle the $200 billion medical debt crisis, with measures including debt relief programs, lower interest rates, and greater transparency on costs of care. Medical debt is a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.
- Christian Science Monitor / A.P.
- Insider
Report: None of Colorado's largest hospitals are in compliance with federal pricing transparency law
Supporters say the proposal is the next step toward transparency, while critics argue that safeguards are already in place and the proposed legislation could confuse consumers.
- The Gazette
A bill in the Colorado legislature would let the state enforce federal price transparency laws, with the goal of getting enough data to create a cost comparison tool that more people are likely to use.
- Denver Post
Lawmakers in over a dozen states and the U.S. Congress are tackling medical debt, which has become a leading cause of personal bankruptcy
- Associated Press/Report for America
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have announced they wiped medical debt collections under $500 from US credit reports to help consumers during economic uncertainty.
- RevCycleIntelligence
Medical debt is South Carolina's largest individual debt problem. A higher share of residents than any state except West Virginia have medical debt in collections here, but the real amount of medical bills owed isn't known; it's often masked as credit card debt or other loans.
NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Kaiser Health News reporter Markian Hawryluk about a new report detailing how even telemedicine appointments can subject patients to exorbitant "facility fees."
- NPR
While the husband's reaction is hilarious, many new parents face the struggle of receiving high hospital bills.
- YourTango
For thousands of Coloradans, the only option is a hospital-run clinic, where facility fees pay for everything BUT the doctor. And they’re required by federal law.
- Colorado Sun
Two Washington State Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would fund access to health care by imposing an income tax on the annual pay of certain highly compensated hospital employees.
- The Center Square
For the past two years, Calessia Lemon said she's barely left her King William home, ashamed and embarrassed because of the many issues she said her new dentures have caused.
- WTVR.com
Doctors bill commercial insurers an average of $3.8 million per year, a figure well in excess of their pay, according to a new report from AMN Healthcare
- MEDPAGE Today
At least eight states agree such charges are questionable. They have implemented limits on facility fees or are moving to clamp down on the charges.
- News-Medical.Net
The legislation would forbid hospitals and other large facilities — plus third-party debt collectors — from charging interest and other fees.
- WHYY