No Surprises Act Arbitration May Add to Health Costs, Experts Say
A federal law enacted in 2022, known as the No Surprises Act, which aimed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills when treated by out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, may inadvertently be contributing to rising healthcare costs. Experts suggest that…
Tucson, AZ, October 15, 2026 —
A federal law designed to shield patients from certain unexpected medical bills may also be contributing to higher healthcare costs, according to experts cited in a summary of concerns about its payment-dispute process.
The No Surprises Act, enacted in 2022, aimed to protect patients who receive care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. The law uses arbitration to resolve payment disputes between insurers and providers. Experts suggest that the process is producing significantly higher awarded payments and adding administrative costs.
Those costs could ultimately be passed on to consumers through increased insurance premiums, the summary says. It does not establish that premiums have risen as a result of the law, but describes a potential connection between arbitration outcomes, administrative expenses and future consumer costs.
The issue highlights a possible tension between the law’s patient-protection goal and the financial effects of resolving disagreements between insurers and providers. The summary does not provide details about how the arbitration process works, how large the awarded payments or administrative costs are, or how frequently disputes are resolved through arbitration.
It also does not identify the experts or cite specific studies, data or statements supporting their assessment. No estimate is provided for any effect on insurance premiums, and the summary does not say whether any increase has already occurred. Those details would be needed to assess the scale of the costs and their relationship to the law.
For now, the concern described is that the dispute-resolution process may have downstream financial effects even as the law seeks to protect patients from unexpected bills. The available information does not quantify those effects or establish how much of any added cost, if any, would be borne by consumers.
Story summarized from the original created by Emily Hanford-Ostmann on www.kgun9.com, see more information here.
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