Surprise Medical Billing Disputes Pile Up as Lawsuit Unfolds (1)

Litigation over the Biden administration’s process for resolving surprise medical billing disputes threatens to exacerbate a growing backlog in claims and leave doctors without paychecks, health-care lawyers said.

A federal district court in Texas is slated to decide the validity of the Department of Health and Human Services’ revised process for settling disagreements between health insurers and providers over payment rates. It will hear arguments Dec. 20 in a case brought by the Texas Medical Association over a final rule outlining the independent dispute resolution process.

If the court strikes down the rule, insurers and providers would likely continue to ...