Poll: 74 Percent of Battleground Voters Prefer Dispute Resolution over ‘Rate-Setting’ for Surprise Billing

Seventy-four percent of battleground state voters prefer an independent dispute resolution system over benchmarking or “rate-setting” to resolve surprise medical billing, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

The poll, conducted on behalf of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), found that 74 percent of voters across battleground Senate races prefer an independent dispute system compared to benchmarking, which the TPA coined “rate-setting,” to resolve surprise medical billing.

Surprise billing occurs when a medical provider cannot collect more than the rate negotiated by an insurance company. The surprise bill often arises when a non-network provider charges the full price for the service, billed to the patient.

TPA President David Williams said in a statement Tuesday that benchmarking is not the preferred method for resolving surprise medical billing. He explained:

Rate-setting was unpopular before COVID-19 but it has now become politically unviable. Doctors and nurses are risking their lives to care for sick patients and voters have made it clear that lawmakers should stand with healthcare heroes, not insurance companies. Legislation that resembles rate-setting in any capacity will be met with strong opposition. By a clear margin, voters also make it clear they do not want a rate-setting law that opens the door for Medicare for All. Congress must move forward with a solution that protects patients and doctors instead of delivering a win to big insurance companies.

The survey also found that 75 percent of voters across battleground states believe that doctors and medical providers should decide the “fair amount” that health insurers should pay doctors rather than the federal government’s benchmark rate.

Public Opinion Strategies conducted the poll on behalf of the TPA, surveying 800 registered voters across Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Montana between September 4 and 10. The poll has a 3.46 percent margin of error.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.