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Patients, Insurers Seen as Biggest Winners in Surprise Medical Bill Deal

  • Measure would weaken leverage used by doctors, hospitals
  • New proposal expected to give insurers more negotiating power
   

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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Congress is closing in on a deal that could shield patients from surprise medical bills, eliminating a source of frustration for Americans who face unexpected charges from emergency care and other procedures.

The question for the health-care industry is whether that fix might have broader implications for overall medical prices.