Houston Chronicle by Taylor Goldenstein Jan. 1, 2020
A new Texas law designed to protect against “surprise†medical bills contained a loophole that could have exposed patients to just the kind of costly surprises the law was supposed to prevent.
But the Texas Department of Insurance closed the loophole by approving emergency rules in early December.
The legislation, which takes effect today, aims to protect patients who have health insurance under state-regulated plans from becoming entangled in billing disputes between medical providers and insurers.
It seeks to safeguard patients from a practice known as balance billing, in which they are billed for expensive out-of-network charges — the difference between the cost of a medical service or procedure and what an insurer will pay.
Senate Bill 1264 bans balance billing in all emergency and some non-emergency care. Instead, insurers and providers will negotiate prices for out-of-network care through an arbitration process laid out in the law.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/SURPRISE-BILL-LAW-14942547.php
