Each legislative session, we provide Shawnee Mission area legislators the opportunity to share their thoughts about what’s happening in the state capitol. Rep. Jarrod Ousley, Rep. Owen Donohoe and Sen. Barbara Bollier are scheduled to send updates this week. Sen. Bollier’s column is below.
A few weeks ago in this column, I shared that the 2020 session would focus on healthcare. And I was optimistic that we would finally see progress. But despite Gov. Kelly and Sen. Denning negotiating a way forward on Medicaid expansion, conservative Republicans in the legislature are once again blocking access to affordable healthcare for our families. Far too many Kansans are desperate for affordable healthcare options, and others who have insurance coverage still face complicated, expensive deductibles and surprise bills. We must do better.
The reality is that countless Kansans go to the hospital with an urgent medical issue, and despite having insurance, leave with thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills. I know because even as a doctor, someone who deeply understands our healthcare system, I once ended up with a five-figure medical bill — significantly more than I expected, and more than my out-of pocket maximum.
Surprise medical bills can be financially devastating and are pervasive across our state. According to experts, Kansas is one of the worst states for surprise medical billing. But we can do something about it. If Washington, broken by hyper partisanship, won’t help, I will. This session, I introduced legislation to end surprise medical billing in Kansas and protect our families from these kinds of bad surprises.
Medical debt is one of the top reasons Kansans and all Americans dip into their retirement savings, impacting their family’s financial well-being for decades down the line. Doing nothing to help these people is unacceptable.
If a patient is unconscious or in need of immediate medical attention from an out-of-network provider, they could be stuck with a surprise medical bill. If a patient reads an inaccurate provider directory supplied by their insurance plan — for example, if they go to a doctor who their insurance provider told them was in their plan, but who in fact was not — they could be stuck with a surprise medical bill.
And most commonly, even if a patient does the often-complicated work to ensure that they are going to an in-network facility, if they unknowingly receive treatment from a provider not in their insurance network — something that happens with alarming frequency — they also could be stuck with a surprise medical bill.
These are the facts, and as a doctor, I always look for pragmatic solutions to problems big and small. That’s why my bill, the End Surprise Medical Bills Act (SB 357), would require the insurer and the person billing the patient — like the doctor or the hospital — to negotiate between themselves, without involving the person who just had potentially life-threatening medical treatment. If they can’t come to an agreement, an independent arbitrator would review both offers, and find a compromise. That means patients will not be left footing surprise medical bills that are sending too many Kansas families into debt.
This is a commonsense solution to a problem leaders on both sides of the aisle recognize as one impacting communities across our state. This is the kind of solution we should be debating in the Kansas Legislature, but once again, partisan fights are taking priority over the needs of Kansans. I urge Republican leadership to stop standing in the way of progress on Medicaid expansion and surprise medical bills. It’s time we put the needs of our families first.