Republican Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott is expected to sign legislation banning surprise medical bills, according to local news outlet CBS DFW.
Three details:
1. Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, authored Senate Bill 1264 to protect patients from unexpected charges for services performed by out-of-network providers at in-network facilities.
2. If the law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020, out-of-network disputes will be handled solely by insurers and healthcare providers. Patients would only be responsible for in-network rates.
3. The legislation only applies to patients with state-regulated insurance plans. Less than one-fifth of Texans have state-regulated plans.
"We can only do so much," Ms. Hancock told CBS DFW. "We need the federal government to step up."