Insurers May Not Be Ready to Implement No Surprises Act
Health insurers are struggling to comply with the price and billing transparency requirements of the No Surprises Act (NSA), according to a survey conducted by Change Healthcare, Inc. Meanwhile, insurers are lining up behind the Biden administration as it prepares to defend regulations implementing the NSA from a legal challenge brought by provider trade groups.
The No Surprises Act bans balance billing — when out-of-network providers send patients a bill for the amount an insurer refuses to pay — and requires payers and providers to work out the dispute themselves. If that fails, an HHS-approved independent arbitrator will decide between two payment amounts: one submitted by the provider, and one by the insurer.