Measures Aimed at Limiting Health Care Costs Proposed
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, July 7, 2023 -- New federal initiatives could help save Americans money on health care costs.
President Joe Biden announced plans Friday to target surprise medical bills, scam insurance, and third-party credit cards and loans that carry high interest charges, the Associated Press reported.
Limiting "junk" insurance plans is a key initiative. These are short-term policies that people sometimes use during a gap in coverage when switching jobs. They can deny basic coverage, as in one case highlighted by Neera Tanden, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. She said a Montana man was charged $43,000 when one of these insurance providers declared his cancer a preexisting condition, the AP reported.
Another target are third-party credit cards and loans specifically used for health care. Both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and U.S. Treasury Department are seeking information on these methods, whose high costs can deter policyholders from seeking health care.
A third initiative builds on the 2020 No Surprises Act. For this, Biden is offering new guidance that would require health plans to disclose facility fees that are added to patient charges. It would also limit the ability of insurers who contract with hospitals to claim care was not in network, saddling patients with a bigger bill, the AP reported.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2023
Read this next
Mortality in Rheumatic Heart Disease Is High
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Mortality related to rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is high and is correlated with the severity of valve disease, according to a study published online June...
Higher County-Level Prostate Cancer Screening Tied to Better Outcomes
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- Higher county-level prevalence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is associated with lower odds of advanced disease, all-cause mortality, and...
Metabolic Impact on Offspring Similar for Frozen, Fresh Embryo Transfer
FRIDAY, June 7, 2024 -- For glucose and lipid profiles during early childhood, the impact of frozen embryo transfer (FET) is comparable to that of fresh embryo transfer, according...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.