UnitedHealthcare told investors the No Surprises Act’s IDR system is driving up commercial costs, with executives saying providers are exploiting arbitration and dispute volumes are still accelerating.
Dan Kueter said about 40% of claims sent to IDR are ineligible, roughly 60% of cases come from five organizations, and average provider wins now pay about 11 times Medicare rates—sometimes 30 times.
Those complaints align with broader insurer pressure for reform after CMS said in 2025 that the federal IDR portal was receiving 14 times the submissions expected at launch and annual volume had reached 100 times projections.
The debate has widened beyond insurers: the Congressional Budget Office last month warned IDR may encourage providers to stay out of network, while providers argue they turn to arbitration because payers lowball offers.