‘SURPRISE BILLING’ BILL COULD SURPRISINGLY PASS

Remember the stalled legislation to stop “surprise billing” of medical charges? Well, on Sunday the state Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously passed it to target unexpected and whopping healthcare bills that could lead to bankrupting Georgians. H.B. 888, which the state House has already passed, requires insurers to cover emergency services a patient receives whether or not the provider is a participant in the patient’s insurance coverage network. With non-emergency services, the bill requires out-of-network providers to notify patients in advance of what the charges will be. Any dispute over a bill would lead to an arbitration process. Even though the Legislature will be in session for just 10 days, prospects for passage are RISING…