Sticker shock: Trump taking aim at 'surprise medical bills'
President Donald J. Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of The White House for his flight to Joint Base Andrews, Md. Wednesday, May 8, 2019, and his trip to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
WASHINGTON - (AP) - President Donald Trump wants to limit "surprise medical bills," the unexpected charges faced by insured patients when a member of a health care team that treated them is considered an out-of-network provider.
Senior administration officials tell The Associated Press the Republican president on Thursday will outline principles he can support as part of legislation to limit such billing practices. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed interest in crafting legislation to tackle the subject.
Insurers form networks of doctors and hospitals, in part, to gain some leverage for negotiating reimbursements. Usually patients pay a bigger share of the bill for any care sought outside those networks.
The administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter before Trump's announcement.
© 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.