‘Surprise billing’ measure for health care heads for a compromise

State lawmakers said they hope this will be the year they address what has become known as “surprise billing,” when someone receives emergency room care he or she believes is covered by health insurance, only to learn the doctor that provided the service is not in their medical network.

Bills are working through the Legislature, with Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 314 both winning approval in chambers Friday, but lawmakers will need to form a conference committee and reach an agreement on details.

HB 314, originally a bill that created the Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act, was amended in a Senate committee to include language regulating insurance billing and approved on the floor. It goes back to the House for its consideration.

State Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said she's worked for three years to address the issue.

“I’m ready to work this out in conference committee,” she said

Unterman wants to force insurance companies to cover services that their customers receive when they go to the emergency room. The key is that, in the absence of a contracted price negotiated between the out-of-network provider and the insurance company, the law would make companies accept rates that come from an independent database.