The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) applauds yesterday’s announcement of an Executive Order by the president to address surprise medical bills. ASA has been committed to ongoing efforts to protect patients while finding a fair solution to addressing these unexpected medical bills.
“We commend the president for his thoughtfully-crafted Executive Order related to protecting patients from unanticipated medical bills. We share his strong support for advancing solutions to surprise medical bills,” said ASA President Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSHCA, FACHE, FASA. “Physician anesthesiologists have been on the front-line of the COVID-19 pandemic from day one. Whether in the operating room or in the critical care unit, they have saved lives. ASA looks forward to continuing to partner with the administration and Congress to craft an evenhanded surprise medical bill solution that safeguards patients from surprise bills and holds insurers accountable for fair contracting with physicians and appropriate networks for patients to access, while preventing harm to our members’ practices.”