A long-awaited federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) operations final rule (CMS-9897-F) released May 28 makes key changes applicable to the imaging provider payment dispute process under the No Surprises Act (NSA).
American College of Radiology (ACR) economic policy experts said the rule makes policy changes that address concerns about imaging providers’ access to the IDR process. In a May 28 bulletin, ACR highlighted three key changes: expanded dispute bundling regulations, administrative fee reduction, and regulations requiring insurers to provide necessary information with initial payments.
The changes, as finalized, will facilitate better communication between parties prior to and during open negotiation, and ultimately reduce the number of ineligible payment disputes submitted to the Federal IDR process, CMS said in its overview.
Find the ACR's preliminary summary here or review CMS-9897-F here.
