July 9, 2021
The Office of Personnel Management, along with the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury July 1 released “Part 1” of regulations implementing the No Surprises Act. The interim final rule addresses several provisions in the law, including the ban on balance billing for certain out-of-network services (referred to as “surprise medical bills”); the notice and consent process that some providers may use to bill patients for out-of-network services; how patient cost-sharing must be calculated; and a complaint process for any potential violations of the provisions in the law. Notably, the regulations contain a strong rebuke of health plan actions to deny coverage of emergency services. Read the AHA Special Bulletin.
