Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #surprisebilling
Most recents (10)
#FuneralHomes were once dominated by local, family owned businesses. Today, your local funeral home is likely owned by #ServiceCorporationInternational, who bought hundreds of funeral homes (keeping the proprietor's name over the door), hiking prices and reaping vast profits. 1/ 
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/sch… 2/
pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/sch… 2/
Funeral homes are now one of America's most predatory, vicious industries, and SCI uses the profits it gouges out of bereaved, reeling families to fuel more acquisitions - 121 more in 2021. 3/
The most remarkable thing about the #SurpriseBilling crisis is how its architects thought they'd get away with it. In 2018, @KKR_Co (slogan: "Integrity. Trust. Partnership") bought @EnvisionHealth with a plan to make billions with Emergency Room fraud.
pluralistic.net/2020/04/04/a-m… 1/
pluralistic.net/2020/04/04/a-m… 1/
Here's how surprise billing works: a company like Envision convinces a hospital to let its emergency room doctors form a private company that doesn't take any insurance (especially not the insurance the hospital accepts). 2/
When gravely injured, seriously ill, unconscious and dying people present at the ER, they are tricked into signing paperwork saying they'll pay whatever Envision charges. 3/
1/ Check out this detailed summary by AMAzing @AmerMedicalAssn advocacy staff:
•Select provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, a comprehensive omnibus spending package
•AMA table of #Medicare physician impact broken down by specialty
•Select provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, a comprehensive omnibus spending package
•AMA table of #Medicare physician impact broken down by specialty
2/ Dec. 22, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that:
•Funds the federal government through FY 2021,
•Provides a new round of #COVID19 relief and economic stimulus, and
•Imposes new restrictions on #SurpriseMedicalBilling.
•Funds the federal government through FY 2021,
•Provides a new round of #COVID19 relief and economic stimulus, and
•Imposes new restrictions on #SurpriseMedicalBilling.
3/ For an @AmerMedicalAssn summary of select provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, please see here: tinyurl.com/y65utfno
THREAD: An advocacy story in 7 parts:
1. @USofCare's mission is to "...ensure that everyone has access to health care regardless of health status, social need, or income." That's why making #SurpriseBilling illegal & stopping this predatory practice from costing people $ needed to stop.
2. We believe change led in the states informs national policy. It always has. But #SurpriseBilling is abusive and we're committed to making our system work better for people. So, way back in December 2018, we released this memo by @KWikelius. unitedstatesofcare.org/resources/surp…
On 7/29/2020, HHS Secretary released a Report on:
Addressing Surprise Medical Billing - instructing Congress to find a patient-centered approach addressing #SurpriseBilling
aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/p…
Addressing Surprise Medical Billing - instructing Congress to find a patient-centered approach addressing #SurpriseBilling
aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/p…
WE AGREE!
"Congress needs to enact a permanent and comprehensive solution to protect patients from surprise billing. Sound surprise billing legislation will not only protect patients but will also encourage a fairer, patient-centered healthcare system."
"Congress needs to enact a permanent and comprehensive solution to protect patients from surprise billing. Sound surprise billing legislation will not only protect patients but will also encourage a fairer, patient-centered healthcare system."
A #SurpriseBilling soln should be fair to ALL. #Arbitration accomplishes this, has been shown to be a successful in NY and TX.
#Benchmarking will harm patients by decreasing access to care, physician choice & threatens to shutter hospitals serving rural and underserved areas
#Benchmarking will harm patients by decreasing access to care, physician choice & threatens to shutter hospitals serving rural and underserved areas
🚨TODAY: Join @BPC_Bipartisan at 9:30 a.m. CT for the release of their new health report discussing ways to improve the integration of #Medicare and #Medicaid. Our VP of Health Care @ariellemir02 is a featured participant!
Watch the live webinar ➡️ bit.ly/3jNVHGm
Watch the live webinar ➡️ bit.ly/3jNVHGm
"AV’s health care work is motivated by a deep concern about the affordability of #healthcare for individuals, our governments and employers. You may be familiar with AV’s work to lower drug prices and address #surprisebilling." - @ariellemir02 #BPClive
#COVID19 has underscored the health care affordability crisis facing Americans & the need for #surprisebilling protections. Congress has already developed effective bipartisan compromise solutions that can be enacted now. (Thread)
arnoldventures.org/stories/debunk… @MarkMiller_DC @a_spratt
arnoldventures.org/stories/debunk… @MarkMiller_DC @a_spratt
President Trump said providers receiving funds from the $100 billion #COVID19 bailout fund must refrain from #surprisebilling, but questions remain on implementation, and even with that, major gaps in patient protections remain.
A small subset of providers engage in #surprisebilling. They are often generated by private equity-owned physician groups who charge patients 500-800% more than Medicare rates for out-of-network services.
This was price gouging before #COVID19.
This was price gouging before #COVID19.
With my fellow @EDPMA board members to lobby on #surpisebilling —to make the case that benchmarking is an existential threat to @EmergencyDocs given the EMATAL mandate & that an accessible IDR like that in NY is essential.
EMTALA I meant
W/ Drs. B. Freudenthal (left) @arhalpern & R. Pilgrim at Cong. J. Morelle—one of the principal authors of the #NY #IDR state law in #surprisebilling when he was an assembly man— for an update on the stunning >100 bi partisan co-sponsors of #RuizRoe HR 3502. @EDPMA @EmergencyDocs
Why Health Insurances can’t be trusted for Benchmarking—a thread #SurpriseBilling #surprisemedicalbills
1) Senate version of Balance Billing ban plans to use Benchmarking OON rates to 125% of median In-Network rates. khn.org/morning-breako…
2) plenty people have said why this is a bad idea, first & foremost it involves govt price controls & fee schedule (as opposed to IDP-type version seen in NY, TX BB laws) @SenateHELP @SenateGOP @marcorubio @ScottforFlorida @Forbes google.com/amp/s/www.forb…
Protecting North Carolinians from #surprisebilling is a major way we can address health care costs. @SenatorRickGunn is co-sponsoring SB 386. [THREAD] below on why this bill matters. #ncpol fiscalhealthnc.com/powerful-nc-se…
What is surprise billing? You schedule a procedure at a hospital specifically because it is in-network, but then are seen by a provider like an anesthesiologist who is out-of-network. You have no idea at the time, but in a few months you’ll get a bill for possibly thousands $$.
Even if you’ve personally never received a surprise bill, you and every other @BlueCrossNC member still pays for them through your premiums. How much? More than $14 million per year.
