The American College of Radiology (ACR) -- along with two other professional medical organizations -- is supporting a new Texas Medical Association suit filed January 17 regarding the federal government's Surprise Billing interim final rule.
The ACR, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) support the suit, which states that "key aspects of the federal government's Surprise Billing interim final rule are badly flawed, imposing serious financial pressures on all physicians" and thus putting patient access to care in jeopardy. The three groups filed a joint amicus brief with the Texas court in support of the Texas Medical Association on January 31, the ACR said in a statement released February 2.
The brief argues that the July 2021 interim final rule's methodology for calculating the qualified payment amount (QPA) actually "artificially deflates it," thus leading to a figure "that is not reflective of the fair market value of items and services furnished by out-of-network physicians in the marketplace," according to the ACR, the ACEP, and the ASA.
