Where Did the No Surprises Act Go Wrong? And Can It Be Fixed? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 11, 2026 · 52 MIN

Where Did the No Surprises Act Go Wrong? And Can It Be Fixed?

from Tradeoffs

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, but nearly four years after the law took effect, many experts say parts of its implementation aren't working as intended. Insurers, hospitals, physician groups and federal regulators continue to battle over the law's payment dispute process, raising questions about whether one of the nation's most significant health care consumer protection laws is achieving its goals.In this special live episode of Tradeoffs, host Dan Gorenstein moderates a conversation with three leading experts on surprise medical billing, health insurance regulation and federal health policy. They explain how the No Surprises Act was implemented, how litigation has shaped the arbitration process, why providers have won a disproportionate share of payment disputes and what policymakers could do to improve the law.Guests:Zack Cooper, Associate Professor of Public Health and of Economics, Yale University; Director of Health Policy, Tobin Center for Economic Policy; Director, Health Care Affordability Lab at YaleBenjamin Chartock, Assistant Professor of Economics, Bentley UniversityLindsey Murtagh, Senior Fellow in Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public HealthRachel Werner, Executive Director, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaLearn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, but nearly four years after the law took effect, many experts say parts of its implementation aren't working as intended. Insurers, hospitals, physician groups and federal regulators continue to battle over the law's payment dispute process, raising questions about whether one of the nation's most significant health care consumer protection laws is achieving its goals.In this special live episode of Tradeoffs, host Dan Gorenstein moderates a conversation with three leading experts on surprise medical billing, health insurance regulation and federal health policy. They explain how the No Surprises Act was implemented, how litigation has shaped the arbitration process, why providers have won a disproportionate share of payment disputes and what policymakers could do to improve the law.Guests:Zack Cooper, Associate Professor of Public Health and of Economics, Yale University; Director of Health Policy, Tobin Center for Economic Policy; Director, Health Care Affordability Lab at YaleBenjamin Chartock, Assistant Professor of Economics, Bentley UniversityLindsey Murtagh, Senior Fellow in Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public HealthRachel Werner, Executive Director, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaLearn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Where Did the No Surprises Act Go Wrong? And Can It Be Fixed?

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This episode was published on June 11, 2026.

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The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, but nearly four years after the law took effect, many experts say parts of its implementation aren't working as intended. Insurers, hospitals, physician groups and...

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