Fight Over How to Settle Surprise Medical Bills Leaves Cases in Limbo

The Department of Health and Human Services has paused an arbitration process used to settle billing disputes for out-of-network medical bills. Over 164,000 disputes have been filed since April 15, 2022. This law passed by Congress caps the amount consumers have to pay for out-of-network medical bil

March 9, 2023 . 5:00 AM

1 min read

The Department of Health and Human Services has paused an arbitration process used to settle billing disputes for out-of-network medical bills after a federal judge ruled parts of the regulation were unlawful.
The majority of the billing disputes are from billing consultants hired by doctors and hospitals.
The law passed by Congress in late 2020 caps the amount consumers have to pay for out-of-network medical bills.
The administration must update the dispute process to make it consistent with the court’s decision.
More than 164,000 disputes have been filed since April 15, 2022.