U.S. officials offering emergency funding to hospitals, clinics and doctors' practices during the coronavirus pandemic have included this stipulation: They are not permitted to foist surprise medical bills on COVID-19 patients.

But buried in the Department of Health and Human Services' terms and conditions for eligibility is language that could carry much broader implications. "HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19,"the guidance states.

Some health care analysts say that line could disrupt a longtime health care industry practice ofbalance billing, in which a patient is billed for the difference between what a provider charges and what the insurer pays. Such charges are a major source of surprise bills, and can be financially devastating for patients. The practice of balance billing is banned in several states, though not federally.

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