The State Senate this week unanimously passed legislation that ends the practice of surprise or unexpected medical billing in Tennessee, also called balanced billing.

Balanced billing occurs when providers bill a patient for the difference between the amount they charge and the amount the patient’s insurance covers. The amount that insurers pay providers is almost always less than the providers’ “retail price.” Some providers will bill the patient for the difference or balance, thus it’s called balanced billing.

Senate Bill 1 ensures patients are not held responsible for balanced bills. Consum...