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Medical Transparency Bill Dies In Colorado Legislature

DENVER (CBS4) - Three years ago Kelly Walters did her homework before undergoing a medical procedure.

"I was scheduled for a pre-planned surgery and having heard the horror stories about unexpected bills I believe I asked all the right questions," she told Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday.

Walters chose a hospital that was in network and a surgeon who was too.

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(credit: CBS)

When when she got a bill from an out-of-network doctor who assisted in her surgery without her approving it or even knowing it she says she was blindsided.

"Is there any other industry where a person can be billed for work not authorized or approved?" she said.

State Sen. Bob Gardner, a Republican from Colorado Springs, says at the minimum patients should know their rights.

"That's not right. And it needs to stop," he said during the hearing Walters testified at in support of his bill to make medical bills more transparent.

In some cases, insurers are required to cover out-of-network health care providers at in-network rates, especially emergency situations, but most people don't know to ask. Gardner's bill would require providers and insurers to notify patients.

"We can at least try to get a notice to them that works so that they will know to question their bills. They will know to notify their carriers," he said.

Walters ended up paying her bill after getting a notice from a collection agency and then a court summons. She's not sure what she could have done differently, but thinks more transparency would be nice.

"I was outraged that this is a common practice. What if that bill were for thousands instead of hundreds?" she said.

"I would have liked to have known ahead of time and had the opportunity to make some decisions about that."

Gardner's bill was voted down on Wednesday. It is the fourth year that a bill like his has come up at the state Capitol and died.

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