A group of House lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at strengthening the enforcement of the No Surprises Act.
According to a Sept. 13 news release from North Carolina Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, the legislation would:
- Close enforcement gaps through increased penalties for noncompliance of statutory payment deadlines.
- Provide parity between penalties imposed against parties noncompliant with statutory patient protection provisions.
- Increase transparency in reporting requirements.
"In 2020, the bipartisan No Surprises Act was signed into law to put an end to surprise medical billing once and for all," Dr. Murphy said in the release. "Unfortunately, its implementation has been rife with unnecessary challenges. This legislation will reinforce the intent of the law and ensure the bipartisan process Congress established to protect patients from financial harm is effectuated."
Dr. Murphy introduced the legislation along with four other physicians: Rep. John Joyce, MD, (Illinois); Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, (California); and Kim Schrier, MD, (California). Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California is also a sponsor.
An August report from CMS detailed the most common complaints related to No Surprises Act and ACA compliance. The most common complaints made against providers include surprise billing for both emergency and non-emergency services. The most common complaints made against payers include noncompliance with qualifying payment amount requirements and late payment after independent dispute resolution determination