Quality

Issue Spotlight

Physicians in rural America share many similar challenges in their practices. They serve large geographic areas. Many of their patients are in poor health. And, perhaps most important, the people they serve often live below the poverty level. As part of a project to understand the experiences of low-income patients, the Commonwealth Fund interviewed physicians in rural communities to learn more about the hardships they see day-to-day. The doctors speak about their patients' inability to pay for insurance or basic medical care; struggles finding affordable, healthy food; social and behavioral health issues; scarce economic opportunities; and a lack of specialty providers

Surprise medical bills, or "surprise balance billing," are those bills from out-of-network physicians that patients had no role in choosing. These bills are not a new phenomenon, but national attention to the issue has grown tremendously in recent years, likely due to increased incidence and larger bills. This Health Affairs article analyzes federal bipartisan legislation intended to address the situation.