Medical billing can turn into a nightmare here in the U.S. and fraught with surprise medical bills. One friend of mine who was having scheduled surgery was told by her insurance company that it would be covered 100%. After the surgery she received medical bills for over $55,000. Apparently, without her knowledge, they had opted to introduce another surgeon who wasn't within the insurance network which means he hadn't negotiated a price with the insurance company or signed a contract with them. They also added a procedure which was simply referred to as "experimental" and wasn't approved by the insurance company. Unfortunately this is a common occurrence (so much for affordable health care!)Texas has opted to pass a bill which will help some patients with this dilemma. It doesn't, however, help patients who have federally regulated plans. The bill will require the hospital/doctor and insurance companies to negotiate, rather than sending the patient a hefty bill. Doctors are required to accept a reasonable amount for services rather than hiking up the bill for unsuspecting patients.
