Congress killed surprise bills — or did it? The $15 billion workaround raising your premiums

Published August 24, 2026 8:00am ET



Nearly six years ago, Congress and President Donald Trump came together to enact one of the most significant bipartisan healthcare reforms in recent memory. The No Surprises Act ended one of the most abusive practices in American healthcare by protecting patients from surprise medical bills.

Today, however, a new crisis has emerged. Recent media investigations have revealed that the abuse the law was designed to eliminate has resurfaced in a different form: a nearly $15 billion arbitration windfall that is once again driving up healthcare costs for patients, families, and employers.

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