Joanna Szabo  |  November 12, 2019

Category: Legal News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

congressional meeting roomMore and more people all across the United States are facing the problem of surprise medical bills, which can cause serious financial problems at the absolute worst moments. Right now, Congress is working on developing a surprise billing law that will help curb this major issue, but it’s a complicated process and there’s still considerable work to be done.

What exactly is surprise medical billing? Essentially, this occurs when a patient gets care from a doctor or hospital that isn’t in a network covered by their insurance. The patient may be unaware that the hospital or lab is out of their insurance network—or, in some cases, the hospital itself may be a part of the correct insurance network, but the treating doctor may be considered out of network. According to a report by Vox, this can often be the case with a specialist doctor or emergency room doctor.

The official term for surprise medical billing is “balance billing,” which just means that patients get billed for the difference between what was charged and what insurance actually paid.

Right now, legislation is being developed to help lessen the effects of these out-of-network bills on consumers. A possibility currently being considered is known as “benchmarking,” which means that a patient’s insurance company would pay a provider a certain fee based on the average that other providers in the surrounding area paid for that particular service. However, several groups, including doctors, are concerned that benchmarking will cut their fees enough to make it hard to cover essential costs.

Another method being discussed is arbitration, which would involve the provider and the insurance company each offering their own quote for what they believe the procedure should cost, and then a third party deciding between the two. The party whose quote was rejected would be responsible for paying the arbitration fees. This proposed legislation has also faced some backlash, as people argue that arbitration is no less complex than the current system, but it is most commonly supported by doctors.

Several individual states have come up with statewide laws to deal with surprise medical billing, including New York and California.

Filing a Surprise Medical Bill Lawsuit

As Congress works to create the surprise billing law, there are currently patients who are being hit with the severe financial effects of these unexpected, out-of-network charges. Fortunately, there is still a way forward for these patients: turning to litigation.

If you have been hit with a surprise medical bill from a doctor, hospital emergency room visit, or lab, even though you were treated at a hospital in your insurance network, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit.

Pursuing litigation can be a daunting prospect, especially while dealing with medical issue, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Join a Free Surprise Medical Bill Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were hit with a surprise medical bill from an out-of-network doctor at an in-network hospital, you may be entitled to compensation.

Learn More

This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


4 thoughts onSurprise Billing Law Would Protect Patients from Enormous Healthcare Bills

  1. Delia Rivera says:

    Please add me. I had my thyroids removed met my yearly deductible with Medicare and being hit with these suprize medical bills

  2. Sharona Bienvenu says:

    I would like to find out more about this possible lawsuit. I had to bring my daughter to the ER and then 2 days later she had surgery. The ER and hospital were in network through my insurance. The doctor, the xrays, etc… were not I was told later.

  3. David in MA says:

    Several states already have balance billing law on the books.

    1. David in MA says:

      BTW: If an outside Dr. bills, have them bill the medical facility they worked under.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.