Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is backing legislative efforts to address out-of-network health insurance billing, NJ Spotlight reports.
Here are five things to know.
1. Mr. Murphy, who became governor at the beginning of 2018, voiced his support for the legislation during a recent budget presentation.
2. In his budget presentation, the governor said the state could save an estimated $119 million by tackling the issue of out-of-network health insurance billing for unplanned medical care, according to the report. The savings would come via reduced costs of insuring state workers.
3. The governor specifically voiced support for Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and Sen. Joseph Vitale, also D-Middlesex, who have sponsored proposed out-of-network reform legislation to "expand transparency around billing and hold down the provider charges in question," according to the report. NJ Spotlight states the proposal would include arbitration by a neutral party to settle provider-insurer disputes over additional charges for out-of-network treatment after an emergency.
4. According to the report, other proposals to address out-of-network health insurance billing primarily center around helping patients understand healthcare billing and their insurance coverage.
5. NJ Spotlight reports the Coughlin/Vitale proposal has not been voted on in the Senate but did pass an Assembly committee.
Read the full report here.
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