Greenville Reporter

Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., along with Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D., John Joyce, M.D., Jimmy Panetta, and Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., has introduced the No Surprises Act Enforcement Act. This legislation aims to strengthen the No Surprises Act of 2020, which protects patients from unexpected medical bills.

"In 2020, the bipartisan No Surprises Act was signed into law to put an end to surprise medical billing once and for all," said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. "Unfortunately, its implementation has been rife with unnecessary challenges. This legislation will reinforce the intent of the law and ensure the bipartisan process Congress established to protect patients from financial harm is effectuated. I'm grateful for my colleagues who have joined me in this bipartisan effort to prevent burdensome medical debt from crushing unexpecting patients any longer."

Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D., emphasized the impact on underserved communities: "As an emergency physician, I know firsthand that individuals in underserved communities are impacted by long delays in providers receiving payments. The No Surprises Act Enforcement Act will ensure the No Surprises Act (NSA) applies penalties to both health care providers and insurers and will allow health care officials to do their jobs in a timely fashion."

Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., reiterated the need for insurance companies to fulfill their obligations: "In 2020, the bipartisan No Surprises Act was signed into law, enshrining critical protections for patients against surprise medical bills and ensuring insurance companies hold up their end of the bargain by paying what they owe in a timely manner. Today, we stand united once more to ensure the Act fulfills its original intent: providing relief to patients from the financial strain of unexpected out-of-network medical charges while establishing fair price negotiation between doctors and insurance companies."

Congressman Jimmy Panetta highlighted enforcement issues: "The bipartisan No Surprises Act was a significant step forward in our efforts to end surprise medical bills. However, we now need to ensure the proper implementation of the legislation. I’m proud to introduce a bipartisan bill that would increase penalties for entities that fail to protect the health and financial well-being of patients. Our bill would give the No Surprises Act the necessary strength to shield working families from unexpected medical expenses by actually enforcing the law."

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected out-of-network medical bills and establish an independent dispute resolution process (IDR). However, its intended balanced framework has faced implementation challenges.

The new legislation seeks to:

- Close enforcement gaps through increased penalties for non-compliance with statutory payment deadlines.

- Provide parity between penalties imposed against parties non-compliant with statutory patient protection provisions.

- Increase transparency in reporting requirements.