Balance Billing is when medical providers charge beyond what insurers consider to be a "reasonable and customary" amount for a service, and then the medical provider bills patients for what the insurance does not pay. Balance billing usually occurs when patients are unable to choose a provider in their insurance network (e.g., in emergencies, inpatient care) and often leads to $1000s in unexpected medical or legal expenses.
To illustrate, a physician will bill $500 for a service, but insurance only pays $200 as the “reasonable” amount. The physician then “balance bills” the patient the remaining $300 and calls collections if it is not paid.
We call upon the White House to continue Health Care Reform by introducing a bill that unequivocally stops the unjust practice of Balance Billing.