U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Thursday sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, requesting additional guidelines and clarification on restrictions imposed by the No Surprises Act.
The legislation, which passed in December 2020, attempts to end “surprise billing” from healthcare providers to protect patients from unexpected charges.
Specifically, the law requires providers to supply their patients with a “good faith estimate” when individuals do not have insurance or will pay for the treatment themselves
However, according to Green, the implementation of the new regulations have caused uneasiness and confusion for some healthcare providers.
“Mental health providers are especially concerned that the requirement to provide a good faith estimate within one business day could force them to make a premature diagnosis of a client and provide an estimate of the number of sessions required for treatment. For example, one of the uncertainties with mental health counseling services is that the number of recurring sessions necessary to treat a patient is contingent on many factors that may not be immediately apparent at the outset and may change over time,” Green’s letter explained.
In order to address the concerns, Green requested HHS provide answers to seven different questions that will help resolve the burden on the providers.
“As a member of Congress, I have a responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch to ensure that federal agencies are implementing legislation in a manner that is consistent with congressional intent and avoids any unnecessary confusion or burdens for those required to comply with federal law. It is crucial that Secretary Becerra immediately provide clarity for our nation’s health care providers and issue additional guidance,” the congressman added in a statement.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
No surprise here. 2 tiered healthcare system the same as our 2 tiered justice system.
Whether you have the cash or not, you are most definitely treated differently if you don’t have insurance. It’s basically the equivalent of walking into a dealership as a cash customer. They don’t want to deal with you because there’s no money to be made. Process them quickly and make room for the BlueCross BlueShield customers.
Now that I am my own boss, I’ve experienced this kind of discrimination first hand.