California Passes Bill as a Safeguard against Out-of-Network Medical Bills

The California state legislature passed a bill that will prevent unexpected out-of-network medical bills.

The bill declares that patients who receive non-emergency care in in-network facilities would only have to pay in-network cost sharing. This would eliminate surprise billing from out-of-network claims. Suitable provider networks will also be more strictly demanded of health plans. A similar law has been in effect in New York for more than a year, and has shown promising results. Many consider it to be a fair compromise between hospitals, doctors, and plans. Florida has also passed a comparable law, and numerous other states are discussing legislation on the issue.

Jerry Brown, the Democratic Governor of California, is expected to sign the bill. The passage of this bill in California may spur other states to pass similar legislation.

For further clarification regarding the above, please contact Adrienne Dresevic, Esq., at adresevic@thehlp.com, or Carey Kalmowitz, Esq., at ckalmowitz@thehlp.com, or alternatively, please reach them at our offices by calling (248) 996-8510 or (212) 734-0128.