On January first, a new Texas law took effect to protect patients from surprise medical bills.
“Consumers were fed up and legislators were fed up,” said Stacey Pogue of the Center for Public Policy Priorities about the new law.
Surprise bills can come in situations where people don’t get to choose their doctor, like in an emergency. “You get these bills with prices that are much higher than what you’d pay in network,” Pogue explained.
But the new Texas law does not help everyone. It only applies to Texans with state-regulated health care plans. Change for people covered by large employer-sponsored plans or Medicare must come from lawmakers in Washington.
“Until we get federal action, there are about 9-million Texans who will have no protection,” said Congressman Lloyd Doggett. The Austin Democrat is trying to build support for a bi-partisan bill in Congress.
“It’s designed to ensure the patient doesn’t get trapped between an insurance company and a healthcare provider and get hit with a big bill,” Doggett said of the legislation.
Both Republicans and Democrats have voiced support for measures to end surprise bills. But Doggett says it has not been easy to reach an agreement.
“The biggest hurdle are the powerful lobby groups in Washington who devote millions of dollars to advertising and significant contributions political campaigns of people in both political parties,” Doggett said. “I hope we can overcome that.”
