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Texans Can Appeal Surprise Medical Bills, but the Process Can Be Draining
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In Texas, a growing number of patients are turning to a little-known state mediation program to deal with unexpected hospital bills.
In Texas, a growing number of patients are turning to a little-known state mediation program to deal with unexpected hospital bills.
The bills in question often arrive in patients’ mailboxes with shocking balances that run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When patients, through no fault of their own, are treated outside their insurers’ network of hospitals, the result can be a surprise bill. Other times, insurers won’t agree to pay what the hospital charges, and the patient is on the hook for the balance.
The Texas Department of Insurance’s mediation program can intervene when Texans complain about an unexpected bill—often after an emergency in which a patient is rushed for treatment at an out-of-network hospital.
Historically, the state program had many restrictions that left few consumers eligible for help. But the Texas Legislature expanded it in 2017.
Since then, more patients have been filing complaints. In 2014, the department was asked to mediate 686 medical bills. During the 2018 fiscal year, however, it received 4,445 bills, more than double the 2,063 bills received in 2017.
Even after the changes, the mediation program could be a lot more robust and is likely addressing only a fraction of these problematic bills, consumer advocates say.
