This year opened with a robust financial outlook for the state of California. In January, the budget surplus was expected to come in at $6 billion. In early March, it was projected the state would reach an historical cash reserve of $21 billion by next summer. Then, COVID-19 happened and a new reality emerged.

In 2016, California passed SB 482, requiring physicians to check the Controlled Substances Utilization Review and Evaluation System — better known as CURES — before prescribing opioids and other controlled substances to a patient for the first time. The law also requires the authorized prescriber to check the CURES database at least once every four months while the drug remains part of the treatment.

With the health emergency declared, Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), proceeded to issue multiple waivers under his authority of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to quickly expand access to and use of telehealth services for Medicare recipients.

When the COVID-19 health crisis subsides, the contributions by healthcare providers to lessening the suffering of the population will be one of the pandemic’s major stories. But when the lessons learned in 2020 become part of necessary changes in healthcare-related laws and regulations, will physicians personally take part in that conversation?

A new JAMA study of almost 350,000 patients found that more than 20 percent of surgical patients received a bill for an unexpected unpaid balance averaging more than $2,000. Medical bills can be usual after emergency care visits or non-surgical hospital stays, but the study highlights how common “surprise billing” is, even when patients select in-network providers.