The American Hospital Association and American Medical Association will file an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit filed today by the Texas Medical Association challenging the federal government’s August final rule governing the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution process, the groups announced today. The Texas Medical Association filed its challenge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, arguing that the August final regulation unlawfully skews arbitration results in commercial insurers’ favor, in ways that violate the compromise Congress reached in the No Surprises Act. In so doing, the Texas plaintiffs state the final rule will harm health care providers and the patients they serve.  
  
In a joint statement, the AHA and AMA said, “In a joint statement, the AHA and AMA said, “Hospitals and doctors strongly believe that no patient should fear receiving a surprise medical bill and that patients should be kept out of the middle of any billing disputes between providers and commercial health insurance companies. The AHA and AMA fully support the lawsuit just filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which challenges the government’s August 2022 final rule regarding the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution process. We intend to make our voice heard in this case by filing an amicus brief that explains how the final rule departs from Congressional intent just as the September 2021 interim final rule did. The Texas court previously held that the interim final rule impermissibly rewrote clear statutory terms by placing a thumb on the scale in favor of commercial insurers. The final rule suffers from the same problems. As was the case with the previous suit, the AHA and AMA want to see the law’s core patient protections move forward and seek only to bring the regulations in line with the law. We look forward to supporting the Texas Medical Association’s efforts to restore the balanced, patient-friendly approach that Congress passed and the AHA and AMA supported.”
  
The AHA and AMA earlier this week moved to dismiss their challenge to the federal government’s September 2021 interim final rule. 

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA has released a social media toolkit with sample posts and graphics encouraging people to sign up for 2026 health coverage via the Health Insurance…
Headline
A new report from KFF reveals that Medicare Advantage enrollees had access to just 48% of the physicians available to Traditional Medicare beneficiaries in…
Headline
Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage in 2025 increased 6% over last year to $26,993, according to KFF’s annual Employer Health…
Headline
The AHA Oct. 3 responded to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s recent analysis on the financial impacts of Medicare Advantage enrollment growth on…
Perspective
Public
“Trust but verify” is a phrase often associated with President Reagan and the need to ensure that treaties enacted with the Soviet Union were being upheld.…
Headline
An analysis published Sept. 30 by KFF found that Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees who currently benefit from the enhanced premium tax credits would pay…