As intended, the No Surprises Act is protecting consumers from unexpected medical bills.
But it’s also protecting someone else: providers.
In the three years since the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute Resolution process was implemented, providers have won about 85 percent of cases. In 2023 and 2024, that amounted to more than $2 billion in additional payments.
One aspect of the No Surprises Act that has been a surprise is the frequency with which parties are resorting to it. Originally projected to settle about 17,000 disputes a year, the process has seen more than three million disputes filed during its three years of existence.
Providers, unsurprisingly, are happy with the results so far; insurers are not, complaining about how the arbiters are reaching their decisions. Several large insurers, in fact, are suing provider groups, charging them with misusing the arbitration process.
Learn more about how consumers, providers, and payers are faring under the processes established by the No Surprises Act from the Becker’s Payer Issues article “Payers, providers diverge on why No Surprises costs are climbing.”