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Republican Leader Foxx, Chairman Scott Express Bipartisan Support for Surprise Billing Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 19, 2021
Committee Leaders to Biden administration: The surprise billing interim final rule “protects patients from surprise medical bills and properly balances the interests of all stakeholders”

Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) sent a letter to the Biden administration expressing bipartisan support for its interim final rule for protecting patients from surprise bills. The rule, which takes effect in January, is required to implement the No Surprises Act, a bipartisan agreement passed by Congress last year to shield patients from unexpected medical bills.

The letter was sent to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

“As bipartisan leaders of the Committee on Education and Labor and coauthors of surprise billing legislation, we write to express our support for the recent Interim Final Rule (IFR),” the Members wrote. “The IFR protects patients from surprise medical bills and properly balances the interests of all stakeholders while advancing our shared, bipartisan goal of minimizing administrative burdens and reducing health care spending.”

The letter specifically praises the approach of the three Departments to resolving payment disputes through a fair independent dispute resolution (IDR) process that ensures that the qualifying payment amount (QPA) is given proper consideration during disputes. The approach adopted by the IFR will ensure consumers are protected from inflationary health care costs and “is consistent with legislation reported by the Committee, the text of the statute, and congressional intent,” the Members wrote.

Prior to the passage of the No Surprises Act, studies found that approximately one in five inpatient hospital admissions and one in ten elective hospital admissions resulted in surprise bills.

Read the full letter here.
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