The N.C. General Assembly’s Senate Health Care committee passed Senate Bill 505 today which will help protect North Carolinians from surprise medical bills.
Under the proposed legislation, patients must be notified prior to a procedure if anyone caring for them at an in-network facility is out-of-network. They are also notified of the expected cost for the out-of-network service.
Surprise billing is one of the biggest issues 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.
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. Or it will allow them to prepare for the cost of the out-of-network service.
Most importantly, the patient will have the information they need to make an informed decision.
The Coalition SUPPORTS SB505 will grade lawmakers on how they voted in Committee today.
Clearing the Senate Health Care committee is just the first step towards this bill becoming law – but it is an important step.
With the continued support of our grassroots members, we know that surprise billing protections will soon be law in North Carolina.
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