COVID Relief is the Wrong Place for Surprise Billing

Press Releases · Dec 11, 2020

Washington — Heritage Action for America released the following statement from Vice President of Government Relations and Communications Garrett Bess responding to a potential surprise billing proposal in Congress:

“As Congressional negotiators consider upcoming legislation on spending and COVID-19 relief, they must prioritize timely action and keep unrelated issues out of any legislative package.

With that in mind, an omnibus bill or COVID package is not the place for a surprise billing proposal. While surprise billing is a serious issue that impacts the health and finances of millions of Americans, it should be handled separately to allow a full and transparent debate. Congress should be targeting funding toward the health impact of COVID, reopening American society, and helping Americans get back to work, not passing unrelated policies.

In addition, the new proposal reportedly relies on a costly arbitration process run by unelected government bureaucrats that would interfere in the doctor-patient relationship and make our byzantine health system even more complex. Fixing surprise billing should focus on free-market solutions, such as price transparency, to empower patients to choose the best healthcare and doctors at prices they know ahead of time.”