Lawmakers on both sides celebrated in 2020 when, after years of delicate negotiations, Congress passed the No Surprises Act to shield people from the unexpected bills they sometimes received from out-of-network doctors after emergency medical care.
“This must end,” President Donald Trump said when he signed the bill into law. “We’re going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable.”
Less than six years later, the system has gone haywire.
It is flooded with millions more claims from doctors seeking payment from insurers than anticipated. Doctors are sometimes receiving arbitration payouts for things like breast reductions and spinal surgeries that are mind-bogglingly larger than their services normally cost.
“Policy action is needed to put an end to this gold rush,” said Chris Bond, a spokesperson for AHIP, the insurance industry’s lobbying group.
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