AHA urges CMS to properly enforce No Surprises Act to protect patients

The AHA yesterday urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to conduct the necessary oversight and enforcement of the No Surprises Act to ensure patients benefit from these new protections and to prevent widespread, negative consequences of any misapplication of the policy. Commenting on the agency’s proposed approach to provider enforcement, AHA asked CMS to provide additional guidance and time for these regulatory changes to take effect before beginning enforcement; provide clarity on whether the state or the federal government will be enforcing each requirement; ensure alignment of oversight and enforcement policies for providers and health plans; and consider extending the oversight timeline to 30 days from 14 for issues that do not warrant a rapid response.