The No Surprise Act: Patient Protection or Provider Exploitation?

Colleen Smith, a clinical policy analyst at the Center for Modern Health, discusses the No Surprise Act and its implications for healthcare costs, patient advocacy, and healthcare regulation in the latest episode of the Health Policy Podcast. The conversation highlights the challenges patients face with surprise medical bills and the ongoing debates surrounding healthcare policy.

WASHINGTON — August 9, 2026 — Colleen Smith, an emergency medicine doctor and clinical policy analyst at the Center for Modern Health, joined the Health Policy Podcast to discuss the No Surprise Act, its impact on healthcare costs, and the importance of patient advocacy in navigating healthcare regulation. The episode explores how the legislation aims to protect patients from unexpected medical bills while addressing the complexities of healthcare pricing.

Smith explained that the No Surprise Act was designed to eliminate balance billing, where patients receive large bills from out-of-network providers after receiving care at in-network facilities. "The No Surprise Act basically says that instead of billing the patient when an out-of-network charge comes up, the insurance company and the provider have to work it out together," she said. This change aims to reduce the financial burden on patients who previously faced bills in the tens of thousands of dollars.

The episode also delves into the broader implications of the No Surprise Act for the healthcare industry. Smith noted that while the legislation has benefits for patients, it has also led to complications for providers and insurers. "Patients were getting huge surprise bills thinking that they had done the right thing and gone to the hospital that their insurance contracted with, on the order of tens of thousands of dollars," she said. The discussion emphasizes the need for transparency in healthcare pricing and the importance of enabling patients to make informed choices.

The Center for Modern Health is a health policy think tank focused on promoting freedom in healthcare and advocating for policies that enhance patient choice and well-being.

About the Health Policy Podcast

The Health Policy Podcast focuses on issues related to energy, infrastructure, policy, and economic growth, providing insights and analysis from experts in the field.