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The White House endorsed an emerging bipartisan agreement Monday on legislation aimed at curbing rising health care costs, including taking steps to limit “surprise” medical bills that can plague patients treated in emergency rooms. While the deal's fate remained uncertain, enactment could give President Donald Trump and lawmakers of both parties a chance to crow about a rare legislative achievement during a bitterly divisive period dominated by Democrats' drive toward impeaching Trump. (Fram, 12/9)

The deal would end the surprise bills and include a new system where independent arbitration would settle billing disputes. Hospitals and doctors have been concerned legislation would lower their reimbursements. “This compromise reflects the input of doctors and hospitals and is the result of months of delicate work to reach a deal among congressional members and the White House that protects patients,” a statement from the Trump administration read. (Armour, 12/9)

Under the compromise announced Sunday, bills under $750 would be paid at a default price, based on in-network charges in the same region. But bills over that amount could be brought to arbitration. The arbiter will collect information from both sides and make a price determination, which is binding. This is a political compromise. (Scott, 12/9)

Lawmakers on Sunday touted a bipartisan deal on protecting patients from surprise medical bills, but the effort still faces some tough questions before it can reach President Trump's desk. While the announced deal was a boost to efforts to address the complicated issue, supporters still face opposition from powerful industry groups and need to secure the backing of congressional leaders, who have yet to sign on. (Sullivan, 12/9)

A bipartisan group of lawmakers produced a deal on surprise billing legislation that is more provider-friendly than legislation previously passed by U.S. Senate and House committees, but hospitals still oppose the deal. Senate health committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Energy & Commerce Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-Ore.) on Sunday announced a compromise on legislation to lower healthcare costs, including a ban on balance billing. (Cohrs, 12/9)

Health insurers and employer groups issued a statement Sunday lauding the inclusion of a market-based benchmark to resolve billing disputes. But even so, the Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing, which includes health insurers and employers, also said that “we have significant and serious concerns about arbitration being abused by out-of-network providers and private equity firms.” Private equity firms own many doctor staffing companies that employ emergency room physicians. Two such companies, TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare, provided financial backing for ads this fall promoting arbitration. “These providers will exploit every loophole available to take advantage of patients,” the Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing said. (Hansard and Ruoff, 12/9)