U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has proposed legislation to end surprise hospital billing.
The practice of surprise billing occurs when patients are faced with costly medical bills after unintentionally receiving care from an out-of-network provider.
Under the End Surprise Billing Act, patients with a medical emergency would not be charged more than in-network rates for emergency care, Sen. Brown said. The legislation would also provide patient scheduling services with more information about potential out-of-pocket costs.
"When you're rushed to the hospital for a heart attack, the last thing you or your loved ones should have to worry about is whether the nearest hospital is in-network," Sen. Brown said in a news release. "Ohioans work hard and pay their insurance premiums every month and this bill makes sure it will be there for them if an emergency happens."
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives, according to the release.
To read more about the proposed legislation, read the entire release here.
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