Proposal can ensure patients don't get surprise bills
By Pat Simmons / For The Herald
Like a growing number of retirees, my husband and I left the United States over its high cost of living. For many of us, health care costs are a particularly grave concern due to their lack of transparency and potential to bankrupt even families who have carefully saved for decades.
New state health care legislation can protect Washington residents from financial ruin. Senate Bill 5493 requires Washington hospitals to post their upfront prices, including their negotiated insurance plan and discounted cash rates. With price transparency, health care consumers can benefit from financial peace of mind and recourse when overbilled.
I recently testified before state legislators in favor of this legislation and told my story of how even expatriation couldn’t save me from the predatory U.S. health care system.
On a visit back home to see family in the Seattle area in 2023, I experienced a bad stomach ache and nausea. I went to the emergency room at a hospital in Burien, and the physician there ran a few tests, ordered an abdominal CT scan, and referred me to a gastroenterologist.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-proposal-can-ensure-patients-dont-get-surprise-bills/