Survey: No Surprises Act prevented more than 2 million unexpected medical bills
Experts predict more than 12 million surprise bills will be avoided throughout 2022.
Prior to the No Surprises Act (NSA), millions of patients received medical bills from hospitals, physicians, and private-equity care providers that they did not expect — and at prices they could not afford.
But a new survey and analysis by AHIP and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association found that in the first two months of 2022, the NSA prevented more than two million potential surprise medical bills across all commercially insured patients. Should this trend hold, more than 12 million surprise bills would be avoided this year.
Related: Surprise bills, errors drive millennial dissatisfaction with health insurance
“The No Surprises Act ended the practice of surprise medical billing in most circumstances,” Matt Eyles, AHIP president and CEO, said in a statement. “Health insurance providers applaud the Administration and Congress for taking this important step. But more work needs to be done to ensure a broken bone doesn’t break the bank.”
The aptly named NSA was signed into law in late 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Among other provisions, the act established a process for resolving disagreements on what a health plan will pay the out-of-network provider or facility, culminating in independent dispute resolution (IDR).
Since the act took effect at the beginning of 2022, a key question of interest to federal policymakers has been how many claims may be disputed through IDR each year, as well as what impact that will have on the affordability of health care. The findings of the AHIP-BCBSA survey, the organizations say, provide critical information that demonstrates how many patients and consumers have already benefited from the NSA — and how important the IDR process will be in establishing predictability in overall costs.
“There is no room for surprise medical bills in a health care system that puts people first,” Kim Keck, BCBSA president and CEO, said in a statement. “As recently as last year, an emergency visit to the hospital may have left patients on the hook for steep, surprise medical bills. The No Surprises Act has not only put an end to this loophole, but it has provided undeniable financial protection to millions of Americans.”
Voters also have expressed support for protections against surprise medical bills. A recent poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing found that 79% of voters are concerned that lawsuits from physician and hospital organizations could delay or overturn the patient protections included in the NSA.
Read more: