Ravi Bhalla Proposes Legislation to Strengthen Protections Against Surprise Medical Billing

Blasts Rob Menendez Jr for Voting against Preventing Hospitals from Sending Patients Surprise Medical Bills

Ravi Bhalla today announced that he will introduce legislation to strengthen protections against surprise medical billing, if elected to Congress. 

Enacted by Congress and signed by the president in 2020, the No Surprises Act prohibits most of out-of-network providers from imposing surprise charges. Most consumers, however, don’t know about these protections. When still billed directly for often expensive charges, the appeals process is confusing and there are long delays in cases being resolved.  During the appeals process, there is no law or rule in place to prevent health providers from seeking to collect the bill.

As a Congressman, Ravi Bhalla will introduce legislation mandating that no health provider can seek payment or initiate collection proceedings while a consumer is appealing an out-of-network surprise charge for health care.  Bhalla’s legislation will also create a streamlined and user- friendly appeals process, as well as upping penalties for providers that send medical bills prohibited by the No Surprises Act.  The legislation will provide funding for a public education campaign to inform consumers about federal protections against surprise billing and how to take action if you receive one.

“Despite the adoption of federal protections, our working families and older residents are still being socked by too many unaffordable surprise medical bills,” said Ravi Bhalla. “As our Congressman, I will introduce legislation to strengthen these protections, to increase penalties for violators, and to provide the public with the information they need to take action, if hit with these now illegal charges.”

Ravi Bhalla criticized his opponent Congressman Rob Menendez Jr for voting against a measure to protect people from surprise out-of-network hospital bills, while taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from lobbyists, pharmaceutical and insurance industry PACs that all have a special interest in the health care status quo.  “In voting against surprise medical billing protections, Rob Menendez Jr. put the interests of his big special interest donors ahead of the hard-working families of the 8^th Congressional district and the nation,” said Bhalla.  “We need to fight tooth and nail for better health care, not protect the profits of the health care industry, and the big financial players that also feast-off these practices.  Unlike our current Congressman, I will work hard every day to make health care affordable for all.”

Ravi Bhalla is challenging Representative Rob Menendez Jr. in the June 4^th Democratic Primary for New Jersey’s 8^th Congressional district seat.

###