Ashley Thompson, senior vice president of policy at the American Hospital Association “The AHA believes that patients and their families should be protected from the financial burden of unexpected medical bills and that all those involved in health care delivery have a role to play in educating consumers about this complicated system. Insurers have the primary responsibility for making sure their networks include adequate providers, including hospital-based physicians, and that this information is communicated clearly to consumers. The AHA has long supported the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ model legislation that would increase disclosure and transparency and use a structured mediation process to amicably settle out-of-network bills. We have developed resources for state hospital associations and member hospitals to use as they work with their state legislators and insurance commissioners on state-based solutions to provide consumers and their families with needed relief. The AHA has also partnered with other stakeholders, including the Healthcare Financial Management Association, to develop best practices to bring consistency, clarity, and transparency to patient financial communications. Working together across the health care system, we will continue our efforts to end consumer surprise bills and improve billing transparency.”