What is the qualifying payment amount (QPA)?
The qualifying payment amount (QPA) is generally a health plan’s median contracted rate for the same or a similar service in the same geographic area, used under the No Surprises Act.
Plans calculate the QPA from their 2019 contracted rates, adjusted for inflation, and use it to determine patient cost sharing. It is also one of the factors considered in Independent Dispute Resolution, so checking how a plan calculated its QPA matters for out-of-network disputes.
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