Hill staff are invited to join us for our in-person briefing— Fixing the No Surprises Act: Scaling Back and Reforming the Federal Arbitration System
When: October 21, 2026 @ 12:00–1:00 PM EDT
Where: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Join Paragon for a Hill-staff-only briefing on how the No Surprises Act’s federal arbitration system is reshaping out-of-network payment disputes. Our panelists will examine why dispute volume and arbitration awards have grown far beyond initial expectations, how the current process may be affecting provider contracting incentives and health care costs, and what reforms policymakers can pursue to preserve protection from surprise bills while avoiding cost increases for American families. The event will feature real-life perspectives from businesses/employers and physicians on navigating the IDR process and resulting outcomes.
The event is based on a new Paragon research paper, Fixing the No Surprises Act: Scaling Back and Reforming the Federal Arbitration System. The paper shows that federal IDR disputes have surged, providers prevail in the large majority of cases, and arbitration awards often substantially exceed typical in-network rates—giving providers greater incentives to remain out of network and greater leverage to demand higher rates in network. The paper contains Paragon’s recommendations, which include removing elective services from arbitration and placing a limit on out-of-network awards.
Panelists:
- Jackson Hammond—Senior Policy Analyst, Paragon Health Institute
- Katherine Hall—Research Assistant, Paragon Health Institute
- Ryan Long—Director of Congressional Relations & Senior Research Fellow, Paragon Health Institute
- James Gelfand—Chief Executive Officer & President, ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC)
- Randy Pilgrim—Enterprise Chief Medical Officer, SCP Health; Co-chair, American College of Emergency Physicians’ Task Force on Alternative Payment Models and Emergency Department Practice Management Association’s Federal Health Policy Committee; Emergency Physician for over 25 years
