Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy:
As Congress continues its efforts to protect patients from surprise medical bills, we hope that you
recognize the potentially devastating unintended consequences that certain proposals under
consideration could have on smaller and independent physician practices such as ours, and urge you to
ensure a thoughtful approach as the various proposals are brought together.
Smaller and independent physician practices provide health care to thousands of communities across our
country, often serving as the only means of access in rural and underserved areas. As such, we see first-hand the impact surprise billing can have on our patients, and therefore strongly share your commitment
to taking patients out of the middle of billing disputes that can arise when insurers do not contract with
physicians. However, we are also very concerned that the wrong solution to surprise billing will severely
impact small practices by eliminating what few incentives remain for insurers to negotiate fairly with us,
therefore driving further consolidation within health care, and triggering ensuing cost increases.
Our nearly nine hundred groups are smaller and independent practices of many specialties that provide
care for millions of patients each year in small rural communities and large urban centers alike. As small
and independent businesses, we also play a vital role in the economy of our nation and the communities
in which we operate, providing thousands of jobs and local economic stability. Further, just like many
other small and independent businesses regardless of sector, we face challenges such as providing
benefits for our employees, meeting overhead costs, and overall ensuring our longevity.
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