The No Surprises Act: A Cost Saving Opportunity for Employer Plan Sponsors
Video: Getting Ready for the No Surprises Act - Thought Leaders in Health Law
Federal regulators recently won a large legal victory when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld several provisions of the rule regulating Qualified Payment Amount (“QPA”) calculations under the No Surprises Act (the...more
The No Surprises Act, a law that ended the practice of “balance billing” by certain out-of-network providers, was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 on December 27, 2020. While the law passed...more
The Massachusetts Senate proposed an amendment on Monday December 2, 2024, that would delay implementation and enforcement of the 2021 Patients First Act addressing health care cost transparency. Section 31 of the amendment...more
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld regulations defining the qualifying payment amount (QPA). The QPA is a key factor in determining how much individuals and health plans must pay out-of-network providers in...more
Share Federal regulators recently won a large legal victory when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld several provisions of the rule regulating Qualified Payment Amount (“QPA”) calculations under the No Surprises Act...more
In a major win for healthcare providers, on September 20th a Louisiana state court jury awarded $421 million in favor of an out-of-network provider in its long dispute with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (“BCBS of...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently issued an opinion with critical implications for the healthcare industry. This court decision clarifies the expansive reach of the Employee Retirement Income Security...more
Out-of-network health providers recently won a huge legal victory when the Fifth Circuit Court ruled that federal guidelines regarding Independent Dispute Resolution (“IDR”) proceedings were unlawfully slanted in favor of...more
In a win for health care providers, on August 2, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Texas federal judge’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the Texas Medical Association and LifeNet, an air ambulance company,...more
Summary - The rules in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that aim to eliminate much of the surprise from billings by out-of-network providers in particular situations are the subject of continued controversy....more
On September 26, 2023, the Departments of Health & Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments) jointly proposed rules (September Rule) updating the administrative fee and Certified...more
By looking at the events that have transpired since the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which includes the No Surprises Act (the Act), was signed into law, it is clear that the Departments of Health and Human Services,...more
5 Questions is a periodic feature produced by Cornerstone Research, which asks our professionals, senior advisors, or affiliated experts to answer five questions. We interview Professor Erin Trish, of the Schaeffer Center...more
On August 24, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas once again struck down parts of the regulations governing the arbitration process created by the No Surprises Act (NSA) to settle payment disputes...more
On August 24, 2023, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas again largely ruled in favor of the Texas Medical Association and other plaintiffs (including air ambulance providers) and vacated certain...more
On August 24, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued an opinion and order in Texas Medical Association, et al. v. United States Department of Health and Human Services(“HHS”)(“TMA III”). TMA...more
Providers finally obtained court ordered relief to the $350 administrative fee each party was required to pay as part of the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Process under the No Surprises Act. Until the...more
On August 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (“HHS”), the Department of Labor, and the Department of Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) temporarily suspended the federal Independent Dispute...more
On August 3, 2023, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas once again ruled in favor of the Texas Medical Association[1] and vacated portions of the guidance related to (i) the administrative fee...more
The California Court of Appeal, in a major win for managed care payors and claims administrators, affirmed a lower court decision granting summary judgment in favor of United Healthcare (United), finding that United did not...more
A recent article by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and National Public Radio (NPR) raised the prospect that patients may still see surprise medical bills despite the enactment of the No Surprises Act (NSA)....more
On July 6, 2023, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released the first of five required annual reports on the impact of the No Surprises Act (NSA) on health care markets (the Report)....more
Washington State's Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) is delaying its transition to the federal No Surprises Act (NSA) Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process for at least six months. As a result of this...more
We are not surprised by the continued stop-and-go regarding guidance surrounding the No Surprises Act. Most recently, a Texas court vacated portions of the No Surprises Act’s updated final rule (the final rules were discussed...more
To the relief of many providers and facilities and with just three weeks to go until the implementation date, the U.S. Department of Health & Humans Services (HHS) announced that it is extending its policy of not enforcing...more