A North Carolina General Assembly proposal (Senate Bill 505) help protect consumers from surprise medical bills by ensuring they are notified if anyone caring for them at an in-network facility is out-of-network.
The Coalition SUPPORTS to this legislation.
Surprise billing is the biggest issue facing healthcare consumers today. 1 in ten Americans have been a victim of a surprise medical bill received from an out-of-network provider. And it drives up costs by roughly $40 billion a year.
Senate Bill 505 helps mitigate this problem though transparency.
Specifically, the bill requires that patients at in-network facilities are notified before a procedure if any provider caring for them is out-of-network. An estimate of the out-of-network costs must also be provided.
In emergencies where notification is not possible, Senate Bill 505 requires notification as quickly as possible.
The transparency provided through Senate Bill 505 will give patients the opportunity to find other, in-network alternatives if a provider on their care team is out-of-network.
Actions related to this bill will be factored into a member’s Affordable Healthcare Grade at the close of the legislative session.
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