House Lawmakers Add Arbitration to Surprise Billing Measure

A House of Representatives panel passed legislation to address surprise medical bills that includes a last-minute compromise to install an arbitration process, handing healthcare providers a major win.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced the No Surprises Act as part of a major package that reauthorizes funding for community health centers and delays implementation of cuts to disproportionate share hospitals. The legislation, which now heads to the full House, bans balance billing and requires insurers to pay the median in-network rate for out-of-network surprise bills.

However, lawmakers included a last-minute change to also add an arbitration process to resolve disputes when the in-network rate isn’t the most “proper reimbursement for a specific episode of care”.

Source: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/house-lawmakers-added-arbitration-to-a-surprise-billing-measure-a-win-to-providers