More than 70% of voters would be frustrated if Congress did not pass legislation to regulate the role of private equity companies in surprise medical billing
Washington, D.C. – As Congress looks to address surprise medical bills at the end of the year, a new national poll from Morning Consult finds that voters want federal policymakers to prioritize reforms that would protect patients from surprise medical bills and lower costs for millions of Americans, businesses and taxpayers through a benchmark provision.
Key highlights include:
- 3 in 4 (78%) voters support Congress passing legislation that would protect patients from surprise medical bills.
- A large majority of voters (71%) would be frustrated if Congress did not pass legislation to regulate the role of private equity companies in surprise medical billing.
- Half of voters (50%) have personally or know someone who has been impacted by a surprise medical bill.
- Dealing with surprise medical bills is highly stressful. Three in five voters (58%) who have been impacted by surprise medical bills say it was very stressful to deal with a surprise medical bill.
- There is widespread, bipartisan agreement that surprise medical bills are a major problem in the U.S. healthcare system. Voters want their elected officials to protect patients from surprise medical bills. Three in five voters (61%) would be more likely to vote for a candidate in the 2020 election if they promised to protect patients from surprise medical bills.
- Voters say it is important surprise medical billing legislation lowers premiums for patients and families. Two in three voters (65%) say it is very important for surprise medical billing legislation to lower health insurance premiums.
The poll is the latest example of voters urging Congress to take immediate action against surprise medical bills. Establishing a fair, market-based benchmark is the most important action Congress can take to protect consumers from bankrupting charges from out-of-network providers and private-equity backed specialists. The Lower Health Care Costs Act would accomplish this by safeguarding patients through a fair, market-based benchmark that solves the out-of-network charges while ensuring that providers are reimbursed at a reasonable, competitive rate.
In addition to saving consumers and taxpayers more than $25 billion over ten years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the market-based benchmark in the Lower Health Care Costs Act would protect millions of Americans from out-of-network charges driven by private-equity backed providers in emergency situations and even as part of elective procedures – a critical safeguard for patients and their families.
To view the results from the poll, click here.
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