The “No Surprises” Act: Congress Enacts Legislation to End Surprise Medical Billing in Omnibus Year-End Spending Bill Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The recently-enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 includes the long-debated “No Surprises” Act (the “Act”), which addresses how providers are paid for certain out-of-network health care services, and removes patients from the middle of out-of-network reimbursement disputes. The Act comprehensively addresses all types of commercial health plans by amending the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”), and Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (“FEHBP”), each with substantially similar companion provisions. These provisions, summarized in brief below, will be effective January 1, 2022. Agency rules are expected to start rolling out in July 2021.