This morning, a coalition of 17 free market groups, including CF&P, released a letter urging rejection of government price controls as part of any deal to address surprise medical bills.
Here’s the key highlight:
Some members of Congress and interest groups are attempting to use government funding and COVID-19 relief legislation to enact proposals that would harm patients and healthcare workers by empowering the government to set payments between providers and health insurers (referred to as a “benchmark” rate). These proposals are not “market-based” as some have claimed. They are straightforward price controls that will inflict great damage on the healthcare system during a global pandemic.
CF&P’s Andy Quinlan also added his own commentary today:
When Americans spoke out in increasing numbers to demand a solution to surprise medical bills, they did not want Congress to inflict further pain on a struggling health industry. But that is what may be about to happen.
…The imposition of a government-derived price for contested services should continue to be rejected every time it is brought up because price controls have failed every time that they have been tried. The distortions price controls introduce lead inevitably to shortages and quality deterioration. And the cost of failure when it comes to health care is particularly high—often measured in terms of lives lost.
…Surprise medical bills are a complicated problem that requires careful balancing of numerous trade-offs. The strain added to our health care system by a global pandemic only raises the stakes.
For the best chance at finding an ideal solution to surprise medical bill, the issue should be addressed on its own instead of packaged into a “must-pass” government funding bill, where there will be no time for debate or amendments, or otherwise used as a trading piece for unrelated policies
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