Oregon House Votes to Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills

SALEM, Ore., April 11 -- The Oregon House Democrats issued the following news release:

Unexpected medical bills can send families spinning into financial turmoil, and it can take years to recover. The Oregon House of Representatives today voted to protect many of those families by passing House Bill 2339, which ends the practice of patients receiving surprise "balance billing" after a procedure.

Balance billing occurs when an insured patient receives medical care through their network but, unbeknownst to the patient, a portion of the care is out of network. The patient then receives a bill--sometimes in the thousands of dollars--for a service they believed was covered by their insurance. A common example is when an out-of-network anesthesiologist or radiologist is used in an otherwise covered procedure. The result can be crippling medical debt.

HB 2339, carried on the floor by Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Portland), passed 36-22.

"Imagine owing thousands of dollars after getting a medical procedure that you had every expectation was covered by your insurance," says Rep. Nosse. "We know that most families in Oregon are not prepared to absorb those unexpected costs, and many are already living on the edge due to high costs of things like housing. How many families are just one surprise medical bill away from homelessness?" House Bill 2339 would protect patients by requiring that the insurer and health care service contractor, not the patient, reimburse out-of-network service providers at 175% of the Medicare price. That means that providers are still getting paid a fair rate for the services they provide.

"HB 2339 will help protect consumers who did everything right but were saddled with outrageous costs through no fault of their own," adds Rep. Nosse. "If you play by the rules, you deserve a fair price, and this bill ensures that for Oregonians."