- President Joe Biden on Friday rolled out a new set of initiatives to reduce health care costs, including a crackdown on scam insurance plans, new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills, and an effort to reduce medical debt tied to credit cards. A proposed rule on short-term health care plans would limit the duration of these controversial plans to three months with the option of a one-month extension. It would also require that plans provide consumers with clear explanations of their benefits, which are typically less comprehensive than other policies. The president also announced new guidance on medical billing stemming from 2020’s No Surprises Act. The guidance would limit insurers’ ability to contract with hospitals to claim provided care was not in network and have customers pay more money. Health plans also would need to disclose facility fees that are increasingly charged to patients and can surface as an unexpected cost in a medical bill. (Articles here, here, and here)
July 12, 2023
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