Balance Billing

Under Medicare, certain physicians may opt to bill patients a portion of what Medicare doe not cover for medical service. This is called "balance billing" but Medicare strictly limits how much physicians may balance bill their patients. Many private payers also restrict or prohibit physicians from balance billing their patients.

Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL-24) has sponsored a bill, H.R. 4736 , supporting the AMA’s stance on balance billing.

This bill comes at a critical time when physicians are also facing drastic cuts in their Medicare payment rates, totaling about 40 percent in the coming decade and more than 10 percent effective July 1, 2008. Many private payers link their fee schedule to Medicare payment rates. Physicians cannot absorb these drastic cuts; in fact, in an AMA survey, 60 percent of responding physicians said they would have to limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat if payments are cut in 2008.

Write Congress now and encourage your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 4736 and to support balance billing.

AMA letter to Congressman Feeney thanking his introduction of H.R. 4736 (PDF, 44KB)