Affiliation:
1. Henry W. Bloch School of Management University of Missouri Kansas City Kansas City Missouri USA
2. Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Ohio USA
3. Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
Abstract
AbstractNumerous states implemented laws to protect emergency patients from surprise out‐of‐network medical bills. We investigated the effects of the state laws on emergency clinician reimbursements, charges, network participation, and potential surprise billing episodes. We did not find consistent evidence of effects on prices or charges. However, the state laws resulted in increased network participation and a reduction in potential surprise billing episodes. Our results suggest that the federal No Surprises Act, which is similar to many of the state laws, is unlikely to lead to price increases, but may benefit patients through increased provider network participation and alignment.
Funder
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation