Now that doctors and healthcare workers have become the frontlines of the current pandemic, we should not allow them to fail because Congress did not act last year when a huge problem developed that should have been addressed.

The problem is known as Surprise Medical Bills. These happen when insurance companies deny coverage for medical care rendered most often in an emergency. Weeks after the service, the patient receives a bill for services which have been denied by their insurance company for being out-of-network.

Patients have no choice in an emergency. They go to the nearest hospital and accept the care from the doctors and specialists who are there at the time. Insurance companies cannot be allowed the luxury of denying coverage for emergencies.

Congress didn’t act on this but now is the opportunity for them to support Senator Cassidy’s bill which provides for an Independent Dispute Resolution. This can be easily done in the next round of emergency coronavirus funding.

While the medical community is stretched to the limit with this pandemic, if we fail to protect them by allowing insurance to dodge coverage under the guise of out-of-network service, we are likely to find ourselves with fewer doctors and hospitals to care for us once this pandemic has passed.

Urge all your representatives to protect doctors and hospitals by acting on Senator Cassidy’s bill. We will all need medical attention sometime in our lives. Don’t let this situation go unattended by Congress.