US Medical Term · billing
Independent Dispute Resolution
Resolución Independiente de Disputas
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Independent Dispute Resolution |
| Spanish (Español) | Resolución Independiente de Disputas |
| Chinese (中文) | 独立争议解决 |
| Korean (한국어) | 독립 분쟁 해결 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Giải quyết tranh chấp độc lập |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Independent Dispute Resolution |
| Portuguese (Português) | Resolução independente de disputas |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การระงับข้อพิพาทอิสระ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 独立紛争解決 |
What it means
Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) is a federal arbitration process created by the No Surprises Act where an out-of-network provider and a health insurer submit their payment disagreement to a neutral third-party arbitrator when they cannot agree on reimbursement. The arbitrator selects one of the two submitted offers—using the qualifying payment amount as a benchmark—without splitting the difference. Patients are shielded from this dispute and may not be balance-billed beyond their in-network cost-sharing responsibility. The federal IDR portal manages all submissions. This process replaced the prior practice of providers billing patients directly for the disputed balance after insurance paid.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
IDR—independent dispute resolution
resolución independiente de disputas
No Surprises Act arbitration process
proceso de arbitraje de la Ley de Sin Sorpresas
out-of-network billing arbitration
arbitraje de facturación fuera de la red
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026