State Efforts
States have long led the way when it comes to addressing surprise medical bills. Currently, more than half of states have adopted laws to prohibit or limit surprise medical bills. While most states have taken steps to protect patients, states alone cannot protect everyone. Federal protections are thus critical. Learn more about recent federal legislation to address surprise medical bills here.
See where your state falls. To date, more than half of all states have some protections in place to protect patients from surprise medical bills. But these state laws vary dramatically. Some states have comprehensive protections while others have far more limited protections. CHIR created an interactive map for The Commonwealth Fund. Click here to learn more about how your state addresses surprise medical bills.
Enforcement of the No Surprises Act. In enacting the No Surprises Act, Congress looked to states to enforce the law’s major provisions against insurers and providers. This new interactive map from CHIR experts summarizes the roles of the federal and state governments on enforcement, specified state laws for payment determination, the use of external review for surprise-billing cases, and the patient–provider dispute resolution process.
Protecting patients ground ambulance surprise bills. The No Surprises Act offers historic protections against many types of surprise medical bills (including from air ambulances). But the law does not extend to surprise bills from a common source – ground ambulances. Fortunately, some states have already protected consumers from these surprise bills. CHIR experts summarize these efforts and more for The Commonwealth Fund with even more detail at CHIRblog.
Considerations for policymakers. Not all state laws are created equal when it comes to protecting patients from surprise medical bills. State laws can vary in significant ways by, for instance, only applying to emergency situations or to certain types of health insurance plans–or by including a payment standard or independent dispute resolution. Learn about these and other key issues, including how state laws interact with the No Surprises Act, that state policymakers should consider when developing surprise medical bill laws.
Support for state policymakers. Our experts are here to help state policymakers understand and address surprise medical bills. We work closely with state leaders to provide legal and policy technical assistance and help identify solutions that meet each state’s unique needs. Learn more about how we can help support your policy goals.