No Surprises Act
In late December 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA). It contains significant COVID-19 relief measures and also includes numerous additional legislative items impacting other sectors, such as the healthcare and health insurance industries.
One of the most notable items in the CAA relates to surprise billing. Surprise bills arise when a patient receives care at an in-network facility by an out-of-network provider; or when a patient receives emergency services, without having a say in where they are treated under such emergency conditions. Surprise bills are often shockingly expensive. The No Surprises Act will require health plans to implement several changes which apply to individual and group health plans (grandfathered and non-grandfathered).
While many of the regulatory details are not yet available, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) has multiple interdisciplinary committees meeting to begin the work of how BCBSKS will implement these new changes. They are required to be implemented by Jan. 1, 2022.
BCBSKS has developed a resource for providers to explain key points of the No Surprises Act and the CAA. A high-level overview to members will be provided in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions regarding this communication, please contact your BCBSKS provider consultant or representative.