National Association of Health Underwriters: Federal Agencies Release Second Installment of Surprise-Billing Regulations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (TNSPol) -- The National Association of Health Underwriters issued the following statement:

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Janet Trautwein, CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), which represents more than 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit professionals, issued the following statement today on the latest Congressional action on surprise billing:

"The Biden administration recently released the second interim final rule on surprise medical billing that outlines the process to settle out-of-network payment disputes that arise between healthcare providers and payers. The new rule introduces an independent dispute resolution process for self-paying individuals and the uninsured, as well as new protections for individuals with job-based or individual health plans.

"The new rule states that the independent dispute resolution process must begin with a presumption that the qualified payment amount which is largely based on the median in-network rate is the appropriate rate when settling out-of-network services. This key requirement will greatly enhance the consumer protections in the No Surprises Act as well as prevent rising healthcare premiums due to surprise billing.

"NAHU commends the administration for protecting patients and using an independent resolution process that focuses on affordability. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to ensure that millions of Americans are safeguarded from surprise medical bills and out-of-network charges moving forward."