Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When Out-Of-Network Doctors Offer Services At In-Network Hospitals, Patients Pay The Price
It鈥檚 a growing frustration for many Americans: surprisingly high medical bills that they are struggling to pay. In some cases, patients are surprised to learn that they received care from an out-of-network doctor in an in-network hospital, long after an emergency room visit has passed. (6/26)
Last year, Consumer Reports found 30 percent of Americans with private health insurance have received surprise bills, where their insurance plan paid less than they expected. Of those, 23 percent received a bill from a doctor they didn鈥檛 expect to get a bill from. And 14 percent said they were charged higher out-of-network rates by doctors they thought were in-network. (Ponsot and Moritz-Rabson, 6/26)
Meanwhile, Hispanic immigrants in Baltimore are struggling with health care costs聽鈥
[Cecilia Ramirez's] predicament is shared by thousands of Hispanic immigrants in East Baltimore, and millions nationally, who cannot afford regular medical services and are uninsured because they lack the benefits attached to legal U.S. residency and citizenship. Ramirez鈥檚 parents came illegally to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 10. Her immigration status now 鈥 鈥渓awfully present鈥 鈥 allows her to work and study here without fear of deportation, but she has no path to citizenship. She is ineligible for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act or any public insurance program. (Anft, 6/27)
