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RuleSignificant2026-111402026-06-04

Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Operations

Personnel Management Office, Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, Labor Department, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Health and Human Services Department

Abstract

This document sets forth these final rules related to certain provisions of the No Surprises Act regarding the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process, which was established as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). These rules finalize new requirements relating to the disclosure of information that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage must include along with the initial payment or notice of denial of payment for certain items and services subject to the surprise billing protections in the No Surprises Act. These final rules also require plans and issuers to communicate information by using claim adjustment reason codes (CARCs) and remittance advice remark codes (RARCs), as specified in guidance, when providing any paper or electronic remittance advice (ERA) to an entity that does not have a contractual relationship with the plan or issuer. This document also finalizes amendments to certain requirements related to the open negotiation period preceding the Federal IDR process, the initiation of the Federal IDR process, the Federal IDR dispute eligibility review process, and the payment and collection of administrative fees and certified IDR entity fees. This document also finalizes the definition of bundled payment arrangements, amends requirements related to batched items and services and amends the rules for extensions of timeframes due to extenuating circumstances. Additionally, this document finalizes provisions that require plans and issuers to register in the Federal IDR portal. In accordance with Federal law, a summary of these rules may be found at https://www.regulations.gov/.

Action & Dates

Action
Final rule.
Dates
Effective date: These final rules are effective on August 3, 2026.
Effective Date
2026-08-03

CFR References

Topics

Administrative practice and procedureEmployee benefit plansExcise taxesGovernment employeesHealth careHealth facilitiesHealth insuranceHealth professionsPensionsReporting and recordkeeping requirements

Document Excerpt

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Office of Personnel Management 5 CFR Part 890 RIN 3206-AO48 Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 54 [TD 10049] RIN 1545-BQ55 Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration 29 CFR Part 2590 RIN 1210-AC17 Department of Health and Human Services 45 CFR Part 149 [CMS-9897-F] RIN 0938-AV15 ( printed page 33900) AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management; Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of Labor; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This document sets forth these final rules related to certain provisions of the No Surprises Act regarding the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process, which was established as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). These rules finalize new requirements relating to the disclosure of information that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage must include along with the initial payment or notice of denial of payment for certain items and services subject to the surprise billing protections in the No Surprises Act. These final rules also require plans and issuers to communicate information by using claim adjustment reason codes (CARCs) and remittance advice remark codes (RARCs), as specified in guidance, when providing any paper or electronic remittance advice (ERA) to an enti

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Full Document

Citation: 91 FR 33900