On December 15, 2023, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury reopened the federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) portal to process all dispute types, including previously initiated batched disputes, new batched disputes and new single disputes involving air ambulance services. 

Originally, the agencies announced that physicians would only have until January 15, 2024, to file these disputes but the California Medical Association (CMA), American Medical Association (AMA), and other physician organizations protested the unrealistic deadline. In response, the agencies announced on December 21, 2023, that they would extend the deadline to March 14, 2024, for all dispute types.

Parties for whom the IDR initiation deadline under applicable regulations fell on any date between August 3, 2023, and December 14, 2023, (the period of temporary suspension of IDR operations) will have until the 60 business day after December 15 (the date of the federal IDR portal reopening), which is March 14, 2024, to initiate a new batched dispute or a new single dispute involving air ambulance services. 

There are also additional extensions for special circumstances. For more details, see the announcement here.

If CMA physician members have questions about the No Surprises Act's IDR, contact CMA's Center for Economic Services at (800) 786-4262 or economicservices@cmandocs.org.