Senators Hassan, Cassidy Secure End to Surprise Medical Billing Legislation in Government Funding Package

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) issued the following statement after the House and Senate government funding agreement was announced, which will include provisions to end the practice of surprise medical billing:

“For far too long, our constituents have done everything right at the doctor’s office or hospital yet still found themselves stuck with surprise medical bills, sometimes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. And frequently, they have to fight these bills at the same time they are facing a medical crisis. That’s why we teamed up two years ago to work across the aisle, find a compromise, and put an end to the outrageous and unfair practice—and we have continued this bipartisan work ever since then. We are proud that our efforts have now led to the inclusion of legislation to end surprise medical billing in this year’s government funding agreement, which will help provide significant relief to countless Americans.”

Senators Hassan and Cassidy have led efforts to address surprise medical bills for the last two years. They worked with colleagues from both parties to craft the STOP Surprise Medical Bills Act to end this practice. In May of 2019, Senators Hassan and Cassidy joined President Trump at a White House event on the need to address this issue. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee – on which Senators Hassan and Cassidy serve – passed legislation to end surprise medical bills as part of a broader package of legislation to address health care costs called the Lower Health Care Costs Act. Since then, Senators Hassan and Cassidy have worked with their colleagues in both parties in the Senate and House to reach a final agreement. 

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