The No Surprises Act IDR Challenge: What Texas Employers Need to Know

The No Surprises Act IDR Challenge: What Texas Employers Need to Know

October 22, 2026  |  11:45 AM - 1:00 PM CST

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For employers sponsoring self-funded health plans, the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process has become expensive, complex, and administratively burdensome—and is contributing to higher health care costs.

And Texas is at the national epicenter. More than 900,000 IDR cases were filed in Texas in 2025.

Why is this happening, and what can employers do about it?

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills—not to create another source of health care cost inflation. While the law successfully addressed the problem of patient balance billing, the IDR process has created a new challenge for health care purchasers.

For employers, high-volume provider arbitration, favorable awards, administrative expenses, and limited purchaser control can increase the cost of self-funded health plans—without necessarily improving quality, affordability, or value.

Join employers, policymakers, and legal counsel for an important discussion of:

• Why Texas has become the national epicenter of IDR activity
• The impact of high-volume provider arbitration on Texas employers and health plan costs
• Who the major Texas players are and what is driving the volume of disputes
• The latest developments in the legal battles surrounding the IDR process
• What employers need to know about the federal IDR process
• Options for Texas employers to participate in the Texas state IDR process
• Strategies employers and plan sponsors can use to better manage this emerging cost challenge

If you sponsor a self-funded health plan, you cannot afford to ignore what is happening with IDR in Texas.

SPEAKERS