Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1484704
21 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING 3 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING with little recourse other than the expensive and time- consuming IDR process (which is also tilted in favor of the payors). All of this creates a windfall for health plans, an immediate hit to clinicians and their care teams, and impacts access and quality of patient care in the long run. Quite a surprise, compared to what was intended. Patient access and quality is already impacted and worsening, augmenting the effect of nationwide clinician shortages and hospital closures. It was not that long ago that the public banged pots and pans in honor of our clinical heroes, battling on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, those pans are beating the sides of clinicians' heads. Clinicians, their teams and companies like SCP Health who are dedicated to delivering quality care are receiving massively reduced reimbursements while they attempt to sustain the healthcare safety net. In fact, the shift in resources – with no parallel reduction in expectations - is causing many clinicians to pursue other means of employment. This, at a time when hospitals are already struggling to continue their mission and keep their doors open, especially in rural and underserved areas. Without clinicians and sufficient resources, some hospitals are closing altogether. The No Surprises Act is putting America's healthcare safety net in deep jeopardy. This isn't an impending crisis- it is already here. Government created these challenges and is unlikely to fix them. Dispute filings through the government's IDR portal are now numbering in the hundreds of thousands of claims, which significantly surpass the government's prior estimate that there would be 17,000 claims for the entire system in first year of implementation. The process is dangerously stalled, causing indefinite delays in reimbursement and an alarming number of cases are now being put "on hold," with no stated rationale for the decision. We remain hopeful that the governmental agencies that oversee the NSA recognize the unsustainable condition that rule-writing has unleashed. But we cannot wait any longer. We must act now. Clinicians and the payors must come together to address this issue, now. We are in a crisis. We need to act immediately to ensure the quality of healthcare is upheld in our country. Clinicians have always been there for patients, even in the darkest of times, and even through a devastating pandemic. Clinicians will continue to advocate for patient access and quality. However, in this market chaos, we need to act swiftly and bring together payors and clinicians to fight for fairness and sustainability. Patients hang in the balance. While clinician groups continue to deliver care to patients every day, payors must step up to deliver fair, balanced, and workable in-network contracts, and prevent future contract terminations. We must come to the table in the spirit of fairness to help create a system that works for patients, payors, and clinicians alike. We must unite to protect our healthcare ecosystem or bear the consequences. Our health systems – and our patients - are counting on us. n