What is the No Surprises Act?

The No Surprises Act is a federal law, in effect since January 1, 2022, that protects patients from surprise bills for certain out-of-network care and sets a process for providers and payers to resolve payment disputes.

It covers emergency services, certain non-emergency services by out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services. Patients pay only their in-network cost share; the provider and the plan settle the rest.

If the provider disagrees with the plan’s payment, the parties first negotiate, and either can then take the dispute to federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR).

How Vareo helps

Vareo checks every line of your 835 remittances against your payer contracts, finds underpayments like this, and handles the appeals and follow-up. You pay only a share of what is recovered.

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Last updated October 11, 2026