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The Honorable Bill Cassidy
United States Senate
520 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Submitted electronically via transparency@cassidy.senate.gov
SUBJECT: Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Ac
Dear Dr. Cassidy,
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), representing more than 4,000 practicing neurosurgeons in the United States, thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on your draft legislation the “Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act.” Americans continue to struggle with rising health care costs, including high deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. As such, a balanced solution for cost-sharing between patients, physicians and health plans is a priority for organized neurosurgery. In formulating legislation to prevent such a practice, it is essential to understand the origin of these “surprise” bills the interpretation of current legislation or absence of legislation that has created an environment for this billing practice to occur.
Patients deserve access to the physicians of their choice which at times may require seeking care from out-of-network physicians. Unfortunately, the current health care delivery system, with its arcane rules, narrow networks, and lack of transparency, often leaves patients vulnerable. As physicians, we can, and must do better, to assure that our patients are not left with medical bills that can soar into the thousands of dollars, leaving them financially vulnerable. The AANS and CNS, thus, applaud your effort to tackle this issue, and your draft bill, the Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act, is a good starting point for these discussions. We appreciate your willingness to work with the medical community to refine your bill, as we have some concerns about the draft, and urge you to make changes to reflect our comments.
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