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Committee advances bill limiting out‑of‑network costs amid hospitals' warnings
Summary
The Insurance and Real Estate Committees voted to move HB 6871 to the floor after a heated debate in which opponents said the proposal could destabilize hospitals and supporters called it a necessary step to curb rising health costs.
The joint Insurance and Real Estate Committees voted to send HB 6871, a bill limiting out‑of‑network health care costs, to the House and Senate floors after more than an hour of debate on Tuesday.
Supporters said the measure is part of broader efforts to make health care more affordable. “When we sit in rate increase meetings and bemoan the fact that health care costs are unaffordable and unsustainable, we need to look at the factors that impact that,” Senator Wong said. He described the bill as a “work in progress” intended to bring transparency and push longer‑term reforms to the health care market.
Opponents warned the bill could cause immediate harm to hospitals already under financial stress. “This is going to create a huge impact on the well‑being of the citizens,” Senator Anwar said. “If we break it by passing a law like this, the taxpayers will have to pay for keeping these institutions alive.” Anwar repeatedly urged colleagues to “do no harm” and warned that the measure could threaten hospitals and staff if it reduced reimbursement rates or otherwise disrupted contracts.
Representative Meskers said health costs in the U.S. are unsustainably high and argued the state must examine difficult reforms; he said he planned to reserve a final vote for the floor but signaled willingness to move the conversation forward. Other members echoed the need for broader cost‑containment measures, while describing the bill as a starting point rather than a finished policy.
After debate, the clerk called a roll‑call vote and the committees voted to JFS (send to the floor) HB 6871. Several members, including Senators Anwar and Marks, announced they would vote no and registered concerns on the record; others, including Representative Wood and Senator Cabrera, voted yes.
The committees’ discussion underscored a split between members emphasizing immediate financial risks to hospitals and members emphasizing long‑term affordability for consumers. Proponents said the bill opens a path to broader negotiations with providers, insurers and other stakeholders; opponents said the Legislature should avoid changes that could push fragile hospitals toward insolvency.
HB 6871 will now go to the floor for further debate and possible amendment.
