CMS plans to transition to an independent dispute resolution “gateway” during the second half of 2026, according to a March 16 email shared with Becker’s.
The federal agency will move away from single-use web forms, instead relying on “a secure, centralized platform” for managing disputes. Platform users can initiate or follow up with disputes, track them, or view dashboards and reports for their organizations.
To maintain security, the gateway will include identity verification steps and only grant access to users in the U.S.
The IDR process is a product of the No Surprises Act, which remains contentious, spurring investigations and lawsuits into 2026. Since 2022, the IDR process has cost $5 billion, according to a 2025 Health Affairs study. These expenses stem from administrative fees, accounting for $2.8 billion, as well as insurer and provider costs to manage disputes. Within the first few months of the IDR portal’s launch in 2022, HHS received 90,000 claims, generating a backlog.
CMS said it will release more information on the gateway soon. Becker’s will continue to update this story as necessary.
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