The HHS, the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury proposed hiking the administrative fee to enter the No Surprise Act’s independent resolution process 200%, from $50 to $150, Healthcare Dive reports. The agencies also proposed increasing the upper limit of the fee range for certified IDR entities by 20% for single determinations and 25% for batched determinations. The proposed rule, if finalized, would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
The agencies project to spend $70 million to implement IDR in 2024 on personnel costs, certifying IDR entities and completing investigations. Assuming 225,000 IDR disputes close next year, based on trends observed between February and July, the proposed increase would allow the agencies to recoup costs.
The proposal comes a month after a Texas federal court ordered the agencies to vacate a separate fee increase, which had raised the administrative fee to $350. The judge ruled such an increase made the process “cost-prohibitive” to some parties, particularly providers. Read more.
