The NSA, which went into effect in January, aims to protect patients from unexpected and costly medical bills when they unknowingly receive care from an out-of-network provider. Instead of seeking payment from the patient, providers and payers can go through an arbitration process called independent dispute resolution.
The fight between payers and providers over the IDR has been ongoing for years. As the law was being drafted, insurer lobbies pressed for a set rate instead, but providers won out. However, the rules implementing the NSA put forward a more narrow process, and provider groups are pushing back.
