September 18, 2024

ACR Supports New Legislation Aimed at Enforcing No Surprises Act IDR Process

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®), along with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American College of Emergency Physicians, announced support for H.R. 9572, the “No Surprises Enforcement Act,” legislation to strengthen compliance with provisions of the “No Surprises Act (NSA),” a law passed in 2020 to prevent patients from receiving surprise medical bills.

“There is a real need for accountability after disputes are resolved under the No Surprises Act, because right now insurance companies are often just not paying,” said Alan Matsumoto, MD, FACR, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors. “This situation may leave clinicians in financial peril, which in turn threatens the access to care for patients that the No Surprises Act was supposed to protect. The ACR supports this legislation and its sponsors’ continued work to protect the principles of the No Surprises Act.”

Introduced by Representatives Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC-03), Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA-25), John Joyce, MD (R-PA-13), Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA-08), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), the bill would financially penalize health insurance companies that fail to pay physicians within 30 days of the conclusion of the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process.

If you have questions, contact Ashley Walton, ACR Government Affairs Director.