The federal No Surprises Act (NSA) and its implementing regulations are meant to protect against surprise medical bills that often occur when a patient receives services at a health care facility by providers that are “out-of-network” (OON) from the patient’s health insurance plan (Plan).

While it is clear that patients ultimately benefit from the NSA’s requirements — lower OON charges, increased transparency relating to charges, and appeal rights in certain circumstances — all providers and facilities will face substantial administrative burdens and many will receive lower payment rates.

This article was first published on Westlaw Today on June 16, 2022.