Agencies issue part one of regulations banning surprise medical bills

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.

medical bill image