As have so many others, my family and I experienced a shock when we were billed thousands of dollars after being treated in a medical facility. Despite having insurance, we were blindsided to learn that our treating doctors were not part of our insurance network. Before treatments, no one had informed us of this, nor did we consent to being treated out of network.

At a time when one is in need of medical care, the focus should be on treatment and recovery—not on whether every doctor one encounters is within their insurance network. As the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals, "about one out of six hospital stays involve care from out-of-network providers, thereby putting patients at risk for surprise medical expenses." This situation is urgent: requiring doctors to state their insurance network status before providing treatment is crucial to protect patients.

No patient should end up owing thousands of dollars due to an absence of transparency about a doctor's network status -- which makes it all the more vital for rules to be put in place for patient protection. A mandatory policy requiring doctors to disclose their network status prior to treatment will not only secure patients from surprise financial burdens, but it will also raise the standards of our healthcare system, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and patient's rights.

We can no longer accept surprise medical bills from out-of-network doctors. Patients need protection and it's the responsibility of our lawmakers to provide that. Please sign the petition to demand mandatory disclosure of a doctor's insurance status before any treatment can take place.