Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration issued a report on the importance of ending surprise medical billing. The senators’ statement comes as Congress continues to negotiate the next Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief package.
“Surprise medical billing has left our constituents on the hook for outrageous and unexpected costs. Now in the middle of a pandemic that is causing unprecedented health and economic challenges, it is more important than ever that we come together on a bipartisan basis to end surprise medical bills. We are committed to continuing to work with our colleagues to get patients the protections that they need and deserve as part of the next COVID-19 relief bill,” said Bennet, Cassidy, and Hassan.
In May 2019, Bennet and Cassidy led the bipartisan Senate health care price transparency group in introducing the STOP Surprise Medical Bills Act, legislation to protect patients from surprise bills. The legislation was a product of a nearly year-long effort revising and requesting feedback on draft legislation released in September 2018 by the working group. Bennet and Cassidy formed the working group in March 2018.