Costs tied to No Surprises Act's IDR process hit $22B in 2025, study finds
Costs associated with the No Surprises Act's dispute resolution process reached $22.4 billion at the end of 2025, according to a new analysis.
A new analysis reveals that the dispute resolution process under the No Surprises Act (NSA) cost $22.4 billion in 2025, with certain provider organizations and middlemen accounting for a significant portion of the claims. Radiology Partners led with 30% of resolved disputes, followed by HaloMD at 27% and TeamHealth at 20%. The majority of costs ($15.6 billion) came from payments exceeding in-network rates, while $4.2 billion was for administrative costs and $2.7 billion for IDR fees.
The number of disputes initiated in 2025 rose by 77% year-over-year, with nearly 3 million cases filed. The median award for emergency services doubled in 2025, and providers won 85% of cases, with some payouts exceeding 80 times Medicare rates. Lawmakers are calling for adjustments to address these rising costs, which may ultimately contribute to insurance premium increases.
Written by urgent.news from Fierce Healthcare's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
