Clampdowns on out-of-network billing climb
“We don’t particularly want or choose to be out of network, but as the insurers’ networks have narrowed, we find ourselves out,” says Dr. A. Joe Saad.
To the average reader, “out-of-network billing” might seem like a technical concept that should mainly concern hyperaware insurance wonks. Media outlets from NBC News to Time to the Huffington Post have found that phrases like “surprise medical bill,” “angry patients,” and sometimes “sticker shock” in recent stories are much more likely to grab attention.
But out-of-network billing is what those stories are about—and it’s not being painted in glowing terms.
In fact, a growing number of states have imposed curbs on out-of-network billing, and the implications for pathologists could be serious. However, pathologist awareness of the trend is lagging, says Margaret Havens Neal, MD, president of the Florida Society of Pathologists. “There are pathologists out there who don’t recognize this as a major issue for them yet.”