Senate health committee leaders have introduced a bipartisan legislative package that protects patients from surprise medical bills by banning out-of-network deductibles in emergencies, establishing a benchmark for health plan-provider payment disputes and ending unexpected air ambulance expenses. The Lower Health Care Costs Act — formally introduced June 19 by Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash. — requires that patients only receive emergency healthcare charges that are counted toward their in-network deductible, according to the legislation. Under the act, insurance companies would reimburse providers based on the local median contracted commercial amount they pay...