News

Below is an excerpt from Axios

Hospitals’ Dog In The Surprise Billing Fight

Although the surprise billing debate is often framed as a battle between insurers and doctors, hospitals also have a huge financial stake in the issue and are fighting tooth and nail to make sure they get their way.

Why it matters: Congress' effort to rein in surprise medical bills is on the rocks, thanks largely to industry opposition, and its failure would leave patients at risk.

How it works: Congress' leading solution would set a benchmark rate that insurers would pay the doctors and hospitals who are outside...

Below is an excerpt from WMUR

Shaheen says she ‘will not be intimidated’ by TV, mail ads opposing ban on surprise medical billing 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Friday she “will not be intimidated” by a secretive group airing ads on television in New Hampshire and across the country calling on members of Congress to oppose pending legislation to reform the practice of surprise medical billing.

Shaheen’s comments came after the New York Times exposed the chief funders behind a group calling itself Doctor Patient Unity as TeamHealth and EnvisionHealthcare, described by the Times as private equity-backed companies that own physician...

Below is an excerpt from Politico

Health groups revealed behind dark money campaign to sink 'surprise' billing fix

A group calling itself Doctor Patient Unity has spent nearly $30 million on a campaign designed to kill the leading congressional legislation that would make it harder for hospitals and doctors to spring massive, unexpected bills on patients.

Its funding source has been secret thanks to the rules surrounding this “dark money” group, but multiple sources tell POLITICO that doctor staffing firms Envision Healthcare and TeamHealth are significant sponsors — showing just how powerful corporate medicine has become in trying to...

Below is an excerpt from the New York Times 

Mystery Solved: Private-Equity-Backed Firms Are Behind Ad Blitz on ‘Surprise Billing’

Early this summer, Congress appeared on its way to eradicating the large medical bills that have shocked many patients after emergency care. The legislation to end out-of-network charges was popular and had support from both sides of the aisle. President Trump promised his support.

Then, in late July, a mysterious group called Doctor Patient Unity showed up. It poured vast sums of money — now more than $28 million — into ads opposing the legislation, without disclosing its staff or...

Below is an excerpt from AL.com

The veil has been lifted on who is behind the ubiquitous television ads in the Birmingham media market about surprise medical bills.

TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare, two companies backed by private equity firms, are among the biggest financiers of Doctor Patient Unity – the mysterious group whose ads urge viewers to contact Sen. Doug Jones and tell him to oppose so-called government rate setting, the New York Times reported Friday.

Ending surprise medical bills – such as when a person receives a mid-five-figure bill from an emergency room...