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Doctors urge alignment of Massachusetts disclosure rules with federal 'No Surprises' law
Summary
Pediatric cardiologist and other physician witnesses told lawmakers that differing federal and state disclosure rules create administrative burden and patient confusion; they asked the committee to adopt H.1126 to align state requirements with the federal No Surprises Act.
Physician witnesses told the Joint Committee on Financial Services that Massachusetts should align state patient-disclosure requirements with the federal No Surprises Act to reduce administrative complexity and confusing, potentially conflicting notices for patients.
Dr. Lorraine Schratz, a pediatric cardiologist testifying for the Massachusetts Medical Society, explained that the federal No Surprises Act (effective Jan. 1, 2022) and the state Patient First Act impose similar aims but different timing and formats for disclosure. Massachusetts delayed implementation of the state law until January 2027 because complying with both sets of rules simultaneously would be nearly impossible for providers and could produce multiple, conflicting notices for patients.
H.1126 would streamline state disclosure requirements to align with federal standards, Schratz said, reducing administrative burden on short‑staffed hospitals and clinics and simplifying information given to patients at appointment scheduling. The Massachusetts Medical Society provided written materials and offered to work with the committee on implementation details.
The committee took no vote at the hearing; supporters requested a favorable report.
