The House Ways and Means Committee is considering banning surprise medical bills and forcing the administration to decide how providers get paid for out-of-network care, according to a letter sent by Chairman Richard Neal to Democratic members.
The big picture: Payment resolution has sparked an intense fighting among insurers, hospitals and doctors.
- Instead of landing on one method, the proposal would have administrative agencies convene a committee with stakeholders before creating a regulatory solution.
What they're saying: In the letter, Neal said he's offered the approach — referred to as "negotiated rulemaking" — as a compromise to the panel's top Republican, Kevin Brady.
The bottom line: This approach would allow Congress to say it protected patients from surprise medical bills without having to side with one industry group over another.
Go deeper: How surprise billing proposals actually affect health care providers
