The No Surprises Act: A Cost Saving Opportunity for Employer Plan Sponsors
Surprise! What Hospices Need to Know About the No Surprises Act
There has been a flurry of recent activity in a case originally filed by six air ambulance companies claiming $20 million in unpaid emergency services invoices. ...more
In a recently issued opinion, the Fifth Circuit has added yet another chapter to the growing debate over whether providers may seek judicial enforcement of Independent Dispute Resolution (“IDR”) awards issued under the No...more
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued two rulings construing parts of the No Surprises Act (NSA) to limit judicial review of arbitration awards issued under the...more
Congress enacted the No Surprises Act (NSA) to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. A central pillar of the NSA is its independent dispute resolution (IDR) process, under which payers and providers can submit...more
On June 12, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a significant opinion in the case involving Guardian Flight, LLC and Med-Trans Corporation, two air ambulance providers, against the defendant insurance...more
The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut has become the latest court to weigh in on whether Independent Dispute Resolution (“IDR”) awards issued under the No Surprises Act (“NSA”) are enforceable. In a recent...more
A recent decision from the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York has significant implications for providers navigating the No Surprises Act (NSA) independent dispute resolution (IDR) process....more
UPDATE: On May 30, 2025, the Fifth Circuit granted the TMA III plaintiffs’ petition for rehearing en banc, which was previously filed on December 16, 2024. Of note, the Fifth Circuit’s mandate has not yet been issued, so as a...more
On May 27, Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc. (BCBSGA) filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Georgia US District Court, alleging that a group of health care providers, along with their third-party...more
On January 14, 2025, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury (collectively, the Departments), along with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), jointly issued Part 69 of a series of...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
We are now in September! And while many folks are thinking about how summer has come and gone so quickly, those following the No Surprises Act implementation process may also be wondering how a whole year has passed since the...more
In a recent win for health care providers, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s decision to vacate key portions of regulations issued by the U.S. Departments of Treasury,...more
On August 2,2024, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the vacatur of federal rulemaking related to the No Surprises Act’s (NSA) Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. The Court held that the No Surprises Act does not permit the...more
On August 2, health care providers scored yet another significant victory when the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the vacatur of various federal regulations regarding the arbitration procedures used to...more
On August 2, 2024, the United States Fifth Circuit affirmed the rulings in the No Surprises Act litigation brought by the Texas Medical Association and other plaintiffs challenging the August 2022 Final Rule that has been...more
Two District Courts have reached opposite conclusions on the enforceability of arbitration awards under the No Surprises Act (“NSA”). The two decisions, while far from the final word on the subject, highlight the most recent...more
This issue of McDermott’s Healthcare Regulatory Check-Up highlights regulatory activity for May 2024. We discuss several notable cases and enforcement resolutions, including the US Court of Appeals for the District of...more
On March 18, 2024, thirty-nine (39) members of the United States House of Representatives sent a letter urging federal agencies to finalizing rulemaking regarding the implementation of the No Surprises Act. The letter,...more
The Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (collectively, “the Departments”) recently issued final rules concerning fees established by the No...more
ACI’s Advanced Forum on Managed Care Disputes and Litigation offers an unparalleled learning experience, specifically designed for the MCO legal community. Attend and develop winning legal strategies and business best...more
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) along with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (“the Departments”) announced on January 17, 2024, that they have reopened the public comment period...more
On January 17, 2024, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”) and the Office of Personnel Management issued a notice that they will reopen the period for...more
Over the past month, CMS announced several updates to the Federal No Surprises Act IDR Process. On December 15, 2023, the Federal IDR portal was re-opened for all remaining disputes. The portal is now open for all disputes...more
*This is the 12th article in a series analyzing the No Surprises Act and its implementation. To view the entire series, click here. A link to the proposed rule is here. As background, Congress passed the Act to prevent...more