President Donald Trump has vowed to end surprise medical bills that leave patients with high, unexpected out-of-pocket costs, according to The Hill.
The president spoke on the issue Jan. 23 during a roundtable at the White House, which included patients.
"We're here today …to discuss how the healthcare system too often harms people with unfair surprises. They have some really — surprises in a very negative sense: medical bills and the like," he said. "The pricing is hurting patients, and we've stopped a lot of it, and we're going to stop all of it. It is very important to me."
President Trump also talked about the "big [sticker] shock" that comes with surprise medical bills, which may occur when a patient receives care from an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility. He said patients "should know that the real price — and what's going on with the real prices of procedures."
The president's remarks come amid legislative efforts related to surprise medical bills.
In September, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled the Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act. Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire has also introduced surprise billing legislation.
Last month, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are moving closer to a deal to address the issue.
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