AMA, health groups urge Congress to bolster No Surprises Act

In a letter (PDF) to congressional leaders today, the American Medical Association (AMA), 50 state medical societies and 46 healthcare groups announced support for bipartisan, bicameral legislation designed to strengthen enforcement of the No Surprises Act.

The legislation (H.R. 4710/S. 2420) responds to the widespread problem of health plans failing to comply with the law’s clear payment requirements, particularly after physicians prevail in the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. Physicians across the country report that health plans continue to bill patients improperly, delay payments beyond the statutory 30-day timeframe and or refuse to pay altogether. These practices place significant financial strain on independent physician practices that have limited ability to challenge insurers’ noncompliance.

“Our organizations remain fully committed to the core purpose of the No Surprises Act: protecting patients from surprise medical bills while ensuring physicians and other healthcare providers receive fair and timely payment for the medical services they provide,” the letter said. “We remain deeply invested in this law’s successful implementation and in achieving the balanced framework Congress intended.”

Today’s congressional letter follows a separate letter from the AMA and 111 specialty societies and state medical association to administration officials warning about health plans are undermining the No Surprises Act and urged federal regulators to increase enforcement and transparency.

The organizations emphasized that the statute is unambiguous: IDR determinations “shall be binding upon the parties involved.” Despite this clear requirement, insurers have too often treated final payment determinations as optional.

“This means that physician practices are forced to absorb unpaid costs, finance delays, and shoulder uncertainty while insurers retain funds they are legally obligated to pay,” the letter said.

The legislation—the No Surprises Act Enforcement Act—would authorize penalties for any party that does fails to comply with statutory payment timelines following a final and binding IDR determination. The legislation also would provide federal regulators with explicit authority to enforce IDR decisions, helping restore the balance Congress intended when it enacted the No Surprises Act and ensuring greater accountability throughout the process.

The full letter—signed by every state medical society, the DC Medical Society and dozens of national healthcare organizations—is available here (PDF).

The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.