1. Our AMA will devote the necessary political and financial resources to introduce national legislation at the appropriate time to bring about implementation of Medicare balance billing and to introduce legislation to end the budget neutral restrictions inherent in the current Medicare physician payment structure that interferes with patient access to care.

2. This national legislation will be designed to pre-empt state laws that prohibit balance billing and prohibit inappropriate inclusion of balance billing bans in insurance-physician contracts.

3. Our AMA will develop model language for physicians to incorporate into any insurance contracts that attempt to restrict a physician’s right to balance bill any insured patient.

4. Our AMA Board of Trustees will report back to our AMA House of Delegates electronically by March 15, 2008 and at every HOD meeting its progress toward the completion of all of these goals.

Policy Timeline
Res. 925, I-07 Reaffirmed: BOT Rep. 22, A-17