Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 28
New York Times Seeks 2.5 Million-Case No Surprises Act Arbitration Insights
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 28

New York Times Seeks 2.5 Million-Case No Surprises Act Arbitration Insights

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 28

Summary

  • The New York Times is asking people involved in No Surprises Act arbitration to share how the system works, including how decisions are made and what factors shape awards.
  • About 2.5 million billing disputes were resolved in 2025 by federally contracted arbitration firms, which decide how much insurers must pay doctors in out-of-network emergency-care cases.
  • The 2020 law has largely shielded patients from surprise medical bills, but it has also produced far more disputes than expected and sizable payouts to some doctors.
  • The Times said it also wants input from doctors, insurers and employers running health plans as it examines how the arbitration process is functioning more broadly.

Insights

Insurers are losing most surprise billing disputes, but are they simply refusing to pay the billions owed to out-of-network doctors?
Why are medical arbitrators ruling for doctors overwhelmingly, and who is really profiting from these massive hidden payouts?