The Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms is excited to invite you to our upcoming policy briefing, “Runaway Costs: Getting the No Surprises Act Back on Track,” on Thursday, November 12.
The No Surprises Act aimed to protect consumers from surprise medical bills, while doing so in a way that contained health costs. After nearly five years in place, we can highlight success in protecting consumers, but not in cost containment. The independent dispute resolution (IDR) process is a central feature of the No Surprises Act and was designed to ensure fair payment for out-of-network care while lowering health care spending. Instead, it has cost an eye-popping $22 billion over the past four years—an amount that continues to climb. These astronomical costs are now pushing up health insurance premiums paid by consumers and employers.
CHIR researchers will unpack how the erosion of guardrails and misaligned incentives have created an IDR process and associated costs that have failed to meet what Congress intended. Expert panelists will dive into practical strategies to fix the No Surprises Act and stop excessive, wasteful spending. Audience Q&A will follow the panel discussion, moderated by Rebecca Adams, Lead Health Care Analyst, Washington Post Intelligence.
When: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 8:30–10:00 AM
Where: Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, 500 1st Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC
Featured speakers include:
- Melissa Bartlett, Senior Vice President, Health Policy, ERIC
- Jackson Hammond, Senior Policy Analyst, Paragon Health Institute
- Jack Hoadley, Research Professor Emeritus, Georgetown CHIR
- Sophia Tripoli, Managing Director, Health Policy, Families USA
- Kennah Watts, Research Fellow, Georgetown CHIR
Breakfast will be provided. Support for this event is provided by Arnold Ventures.
Recommended Reading:
- ERIC, Employer Exposure Under the No Surprises Act: The Independent Dispute Resolution Process and Its Hidden Cost for Plan Sponsors
- Families USA, Congress Must Act to Safeguard the No Surprises Act from Industry Gaming
- Families USA, States Spotlight Promising Fixes to the No Surprises Act
- Jack Hoadley and Kennah Watts, Spending On IDR Process Pushes No Surprises Act Costs To More Than $22.4 Billion Over Just Four Years
- Katie Keith and Ellie DeGarmo, Fifth Circuit Invalidates Two More Provisions Of No Surprises Act Rule
- Kennah Watts and Jack Hoadley, When Protections Work but Processes Stall: Evaluating the No Surprises Act’s Implementation Record
- O’Neill Institute, Georgetown University Law Center, No Surprises Act Litigation Tracker
- Paragon Health Institute, Fixing the No Surprises Act: Scaling Back and Reforming the Federal Arbitration System