Kristy Weber, MD, president of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, provided an opposition statement to the surprise medical bill proposal of the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019.
In the statement, Dr. Weber said: "While the AAOS supports removing patients from the middle of out-of-network billing disputes, we strongly believe that imposing an insurer-controlled rate is not the solution. The Lower Health Care Costs Act represents an unprecedented transfer of market power by the government to insurers and directly threatens the independent practice of medicine."
Unlike other proposals, it would not be compulsory for insurers to consider specific patient needs or negotiate with physicians and would enable them to cut rates and create a "one-size-fits-all ceiling for reimbursement," said Dr. Weber
She warned that this would lead to smaller insurance, fewer physicians in rural regions, less competition in healthcare and decreased access to care.
"Congress can and must protect patients from unexpected medical bills without allowing insurers to dictate the cost of services absent any focus on the individual patient or quality of care," Dr. Weber added.
The LHCCA was introduced by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on June 19. Under the legislation, insurance companies would reimburse providers based on the local median contracted commercial amount they pay other providers they contracted with — and agreed to — in that region.
Read the full legislation here.