Murphy Supports Bipartisan, Bicameral Agreement to Address Surprise Medical Billing

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, December 11, 2020, key House and Senate leaders came to a bipartisan agreement in principle to address surprise medical billing. After years of being heavily debated, it has finally gotten to a point of a general agreement.

Surprise billing occurs when a patient goes to a medical facility and receives care, usually emergently, that does not accept their insurance. They then would receive a ‘surprise bill' because they were under the assumption that the services they were rendered were covered by their insurance company. Under this legislation, patients will be held harmless in this situation and the issue will be resolved between the provider and the insurance company so the patient will not receive a "surprise bill" when out of network. Also importantly the bill creates a fair and regimented framework to help resolve disputes between insurers and providers.

Incoming House Republican Doctors Caucus Vice-Chairman Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) released the following statement in support of the bill:

"As a practicing physician of 30 years who often has to care for patients in emergency situations, I hear from these patients about the unexpected cost that surprise medical billing can have on them and their families," said Murphy. "The last thing a patient needs is to worry about whether their doctors or hospital are in network when a medical emergency arises. Patients don't deserve to be caught in the middle of disputes between insurers and providers. Yet at the same time, those providing the care to the patient need to be reimbursed appropriately for the care they render. Congress has long argued about the solution to this significant issue and I am thrilled we have finally come to a compromise.

"Although this is not a perfect bill, it is significantly better for providers than earlier versions. I commend the chairmen and ranking members of the committees involved as well as Congressional leadership for fixing an issue that has long affected both patients and providers."

A section-by-section of the bill can be found here.