Lawmakers urge regulators to implement No Surprises Act dispute resolution as intended

Jun 21, 2021 - 02:08 PM
legislation-update

Nearly 100 bipartisan House members led by Reps. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, last week urged the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury to ensure their rulemaking for the No Surprises Act reflects congressional intent for a balanced process to settle payment disputes between health plans and providers.
  
“The dispute resolution process established in the No Surprises Act prevents artificially low payment rates that would incentivize insurance companies to keep providers out of their networks,” the letter notes. “… To match Congressional intent, your implementation of the law should ensure an [independent dispute resolution] process that captures the unique circumstances of each billing dispute and does not cause any single piece of information to be the default one considered.”

The lawmakers also emphasized the need to provide sufficient time for public comments and evaluation through proposed notice and comment rulemaking.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
Shutdown continues with no significant progress toward funding deal
The government shutdown is expected to continue into next week as the Senate is expected to adjourn Oct. 23 with no plans to vote this weekend. The chamber Oct…
Headline
Government funding bill fails 10th time in Senate as chamber adjourns until next week
The Senate Oct. 16 failed for a 10th time to advance the continuing resolution to extend government funding and end the ongoing shutdown. The chamber adjourned…
Chairperson's File
Chair File: Leadership Dialogue — Legislative Outlook and Health Care Advocacy with AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes
Public
There is a saying that is very timely for our field: A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. As we head into the final months of 2025, hospitals and health…
Headline
Shutdown expected to continue next week as Senate adjourns
The federal government shutdown is expected to continue into next week as the Senate adjourned Oct. 9 after failing to pass spending legislation; senators plan…
Headline
AHA calls for Senate committee to strengthen supply chain for pharmaceuticals, medical devices
The AHA provided a statement of record to the Senate Special Committee on Aging for a hearing Oct. 8 on the pharmaceutical and medical device supply chains.…
Headline
Senate again fails to pass CR, government shutdown continues
The federal government shutdown will continue as the Senate Oct. 3 failed to adopt a government funding deal. The latest attempt to pass the House-passed…