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Bramnick Wants Simpler Insurance Benefits Explanation

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick
Phil Gregory

A New Jersey lawmaker says the explanation of benefits that insurance companies send to patients contain message codes that are difficult for consumers to understand.

Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick says it's irritating to get pages and pages of confusing information about why a medical bill hasn't been paid.

"I think it can frustrate people to the point where they don't know what to do. They end up maybe they don't provide the documents that the insurance company needs because they can't quite figure out what they need."

Bramnick wants insurance companies to give a clear explanation in plain language at the beginning of those forms.

"You didn't meet your deductible, and your deductible is 200 bucks, but we're going to apply this to the deductible, and now your deductible is only 50 bucks. How's that? That would be helpful. Or, we don't cover this stuff. It's not in your policy."

Bramnick is  hoping to convince the companies to make it simpler, so he doesn't have to introduce legislation to require it.