The Perils of Government-Mandated Arbitration
Protecting patients from surprise bills requires us to address the market failure that drives the problem in the first place. Arbitration is a failed remedy that will incentivize exorbitant charges moving forward. Learn more about why arbitration will continue to lead to sky-high charges from out-of-network providers and higher premiums for all of us.
STAT Investigation Reveals Arbitrators Operating with Little Accountability, Transparency Amid IDR Affordability Crisis
At a time when CMS is actively assessing re-certification for select arbitrators, also known as IDR entities (IDREs), a new investigation by STAT News finds that arbitrators are profiting from a system with little accountability or oversight, siding with providers in...
In New Op-Ed, Paragon Health Leaders Urge Congress to Tackle “Broken” IDR Process
With affordability top of mind for voters and policymakers heading into the midterm elections, Paragon Health Institute’s Brian Blase and Jackson Hammond make the case in a new Washington Post op-ed that tackling the “unintended consequences of the No Surprises Act’s...
ICYMI: CBS News Investigation Examines How Surprise Billing Arbitration Is Fueling Outsized Payments
Patients are largely protected from surprise medical bills, but they are paying the price for certain private equity-backed providers and out-of-network specialists who abuse the No Surprises Act. A new CBS News investigation examines how the law’s arbitration process...
How IDR Abuse Hits Americans’ Paychecks
While the No Surprises Act largely succeeded in preventing consumers from receiving surprise medical bills, rising costs — amounting to more than $22.4 billion — generated by misuse and abuse of the law’s independent dispute resolution (IDR) process are cutting into...
Even More Disputes, Even Higher Costs: The Latest IDR Warning Signs
After a new federal rule slashed the administrative fee for initiating IDR disputes by 87% — from $115 to just $15, nearly 400,000 disputes were initiated in July 2026 alone. This 24% jump in just one month is one of the latest signals that the IDR process has veered...
The Ripple Effect of Runaway Arbitration Awards: Fewer In-Network Docs, Higher Premiums
A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that the No Surprises Act’s arbitration process is incentivizing providers to go out-of-network and driving higher premiums. The economists estimate that the undue costs of the independent dispute...
ICYMI: Employers Warn IDR Abuse Is A Major Affordability Problem
Extreme and inflationary independent dispute resolution (IDR) awards are forcing employers to pay more for healthcare, according to a new analysis from The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC). This latest report underscores how far the No Surprises Act’s IDR process has...
$+22 Billion in Added Costs, and Growing Consensus That Congress Must Act on IDR
Certain out-of-network providers’ abuse and misuse of arbitration have become a $22 billion affordability crisis, according to recent government data analyzed by Georgetown researchers. Excessive independent dispute resolution (IDR) costs have translated directly into...
Latest Paragon Analysis Strengthens the Case for IDR Reform
A new Paragon Health Institute analysis urges Congress to reform IDR and address the misaligned incentives driving up costs for employers and consumers. The paper builds on mounting evidence of excessive arbitration awards and limited oversight, citing an estimated...
ICYMI: How Arbitration Blew a $40 Million Hole in San Antonio’s Budget
The city of San Antonio is $40 million over its employee healthcare budget this year following costly misuse and abuse of the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process by a handful of out-of-network providers. New reporting from the San Antonio Express-News details...