Big surprise. But not really.

The Interim Final Rule (IFR) for the federal No Surprises Act, released last month, appears to offer bad news for out-of-network providers (OON), which does not come as a surprise to heathcare attorney Thomas Force, who will return to the Monitor Mondays broadcast.

Force will explain, citing that the guidance is focused on what the bill defines as good-faith estimates for uninsured and self-pay patients, along with the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process between providers, facililies, and health plans. Force contends that the IFR has left many questions unanswered, and appears to be written for the benefit of health plans and carriers. Listen during the next live edition of Monitor Mondays, when there will be new light shed on a simmering old issue: providers versus payors.

Monitor Mondays will also have the latest national audit news updates from well-respected broadcast consultants, including:

• Monday Rounds: Ronald Hirsch, MD, vice president of R1 RCM, will return with another installment of his popular segment.
• RAC Report: Knicole Emanuel, a partner at the law firm of Practus, will file the Monitor Mondays RAC Report.
• Legislative Update: Former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) official Matthew Albright, now chief legislative affairs officer for Zelis, will report on the latest healthcare regulatory news coming out of Washington, D.C.
• SDoH Report: Ellen Fink-Samnick,anationally recognized expert on the social determinants of health (SDoH), will have the latest news on a trending topic that is attracting significant media attention. Ellen will also conduct the Monitor Mondays Listeners Survey.
• Risky Business: Healthcare attorney David Glaser, shareholder in the law offices of Fredrikson & Bryon, will join the broadcast with his trademark segment, reporting on legal implications facing healthcare providers.