On Dec. 11, the House Ways and Means Committee issued an outline of that panel’s bipartisan proposal for addressing surprise medical bills. Some details are vague, and it could be after the holidays before we see legislative language. Nonetheless, the committee’s approach offers significant differences from the recently issued agreement reached between the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pension (HELP) Committee. Like other proposals, the Ways & Means plan would limit patients’ out-of-pocket costs to the amounts they would have owed if they had the opportunity to choose in-network physicians and facilities to provide their care. An independent dispute resolution (IDR) system is also included. However, unlike other proposals, Ways & Means does not restrict
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