ACR shares ‘serious concerns’ with surprise billing legislation
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has issued a statement sharing “serious concerns” with HR 3630, the No Surprises Act, which is currently scheduled to be considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The legislation, designed to take aim at surprise medical bills, “would result in the federal government setting payment rates for out-of-network (OON) services performed in the private market,” according to the ACR.
“The ACR and many Americans oppose such government-controlled price setting in the private sector,” the statement continued. “In addition, HR 3630 has no mechanism for providers and insurers to directly resolve payment disputes for OON services. Instead, the legislation sets a benchmark payment rate that can be easily manipulated by insurers, result in market compression, and decrease access to physician services.”
The ACR also recommended amending the legislation so that it includes certain independent dispute resolution provisions included in HR 3502, the Protecting People from Surprise Medical Bills Act. More than 100 organizations—including the ACR and the American Medical Association—have signed a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee detailing issues with the legislation as it stands today.
The full letter can be read here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.