Trump, Congress move to address surprise medical bills

President Trump this week spoke out against surprise medical bills, highlighting an issue that has received bipartisan concern in Congress (Source: “Trump calls for cracking down on surprise medical bills,” The Hill, Jan. 23, 2019).

“The health care system too often harms people with some unfair surprises ... medical bills and the like,” Trump said at a roundtable at the White House, along with patients who had received unexpectedly large bills from hospitals.

Cracking down on surprise medical bills is seen as a rare area of possible bipartisan action on health care. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) unveiled bipartisan legislation to end surprise medical bills in September, and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) has legislation on the topic as well.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) also has a bill in the House to address the practice.