Judges Question Bid to Keep Surprise Medical Billing Pay Formula

A panel of Fifth Circuit judges questioned the Biden administration’s attempt to preserve a method for calculating certain health-provider rates that play a major role in surprise medical bill disputes during oral arguments Tuesday.

The case is one of a series the Texas Medical Association filed against the Department of Health and Human Services over implementation of the No Surprises Act, which shields patients from some unexpected out-of-network bills. The lawsuits focus on the arbitration process between medical providers and insurance companies, which has also been the subject of a wave of private litigation.

The sharpest questions for the administration ...