MSSNY Statement on US Congressional Committees’ Surprise Billing Agreement
For Immediate Release
December 14, 2020
MSSNY Statement on US Congressional Committees’ Surprise Billing Agreement
“Agreement is Giveaway to Enormously Profitable Insurance Companies and is at the Expense of Community Physicians on the Front Lines Delivering Patient Care During Pandemic”
Statement Attributable to:
Bonnie Litvack, MD
President, Medical Society of the State of New York
“Let’s be clear. The new House-Senate committees’ surprise billing legislative agreement is a flat-out giveaway to already enormously profitable insurance companies at the expense of community physicians on the front lines during the pandemic.
“If this proposal were to be enacted, it will reduce patient choice in New York by compelling even more private practice physicians into forced employment arrangements. We are disappointed that Congress did not look to New York’s well-regarded surprise medical bill law as a model of balance. Instead, they chose a methodology for resolving surprise bills that is designed to tip the scales grossly in favor of insurance companies and empower them to further squeeze patient care physicians at a time when many physicians are also about to absorb huge Medicare cuts.
“Indeed, the CBO estimates that most of the so-called savings from this surprise bill proposal would come from cuts insurance companies would impose of network participating physicians, not out-of-network physicians. The end result will inevitably be greatly reduced access to care for our patients.
“So, as the year-end nears, instead of a thank you to the hundreds of thousands of physicians across the country who have put their own lives and the lives of their families at risk, Congress is giving these physicians a giant lump of coal. We continue to urge that Congress take action to protect patients from surprise medical bills, but this proposal is way off the mark.
“MSSNY urges Congress to go back to the drawing board and develop a more balanced proposal. Our health care safety net depends upon it.”
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Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.
Media Contact:
Roseann Raia
Communications / Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Ave.
Westbury, New York
516-488-6100 ext 302
rraia@mssny.org