Measure to address surprise medical bills approved

Lawmakers passed a bill July 21 meant to reduce “surprise billing” for emergency medical care.

LB997, introduced by Sen. Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, creates the Out-of-Network Emergency Medical Care Act. The bill allows for resolution of unexpected medical bills due to an emergency visit to a health care facility or provider that was not in a patient’s health insurance network.

The bill defines an emergency as the sudden onset of a medical condition that would place a person in serious jeopardy if not treated immediately, and limits a patient’s expenses to what would have been charged if the patient had been treated at an in-network facility.

Senators passed LB997 on a 47-0 vote.