recognized amount
(3) Definitions In this subchapter: (A) Emergency department of a hospital The term “emergency department of a hospital” includes a hospital outpatient department that provides emergency services (as defined in subparagraph (C)(i)). (B) Emergency medical condition The term “emergency medical condition” means a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in a condition described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of section 1867(e)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act. (C) Emergency services (i) In general The term “emergency services”, with respect to an emergency medical condition, means— (I) a medical screening examination (as required under section 1867 of the Social Security Act, or as would be required under such section if such section applied to an independent freestanding emergency department) that is within the capability of the emergency department of a hospital or of an independent freestanding emergency department, as applicable, including ancillary services routinely available to the emergency department to evaluate such emergency medical condition; and (II) within the capabilities of the staff and facilities available at the hospital or the independent freestanding emergency department, as applicable, such further medical examination and treatment as are required under section 1867 of such Act, or as would be required under such section if such section applied to an independent freestanding emergency department, to stabilize the patient (regardless of the department of the hospital in which such further examination or treatment is furnished). (ii) Inclusion of additional services (I) In general For purposes of this subsection and section 2799B–1 of the Public Health Service Act, in the case of a participant or beneficiary who is enrolled in a group health plan and who is furnished services described in clause (i) with respect to an emergency medical condition, the term “emergency services” shall include, unless each of the conditions described in subclause (II) are met, in addition to the items and services described in clause (i), items and services— (aa) for which benefits are provided or covered under the plan; and (bb) that are furnished by a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility (regardless of the department of the hospital in which such items or services are furnished) after the participant or beneficiary is stabilized and as part of outpatient observation or an inpatient or outpatient stay with respect to the visit in which the services described in clause (i) are furnished. (II) Conditions For purposes of subclause (I), the conditions described in this subclause, with respect to a participant or beneficiary who is stabilized and furnished additional items and services described in subclause (I) after such stabilization by a provider or facility described in subclause (I), are the following; (aa) Such provider or facility determines such individual is able to travel using nonmedical transportation or nonemergency medical transportation. (bb) Such provider furnishing such additional items and services satisfies the notice and consent criteria of section 2799B–2(d) with respect to such items and services. (cc) Such individual is in a condition to receive (as determined in accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary pursuant to rulemaking) the information described in section 2799B–2 1 and to provide informed consent under such section, in accordance with applicable State law. (dd) Such other conditions, as specified by the Secretary, such as conditions relating to coordinating care transitions to participating providers and facilities. (D) Independent freestanding emergency department The term “independent freestanding emergency department” means a health care facility that— (i) is geographically separate and distinct and licensed separately from a hospital under applicable State law; and (ii) provides any of the emergency services (as defined in subparagraph (C)(i)). (E) Qualifying payment amount (i) In general The term “qualifying payment amount” means, subject to clauses (ii) and (iii), with respect to a sponsor of a group health plan— (I) for an item or service furnished during 2022, the median of the contracted rates recognized by the plan (determined with respect to all such plans of such sponsor that are offered within the same insurance market (specified in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of clause (iv)) as the plan) as the total maximum payment (including the cost-sharing amount imposed for such item or service and the amount to be paid by the plan) under such plans on January 31, 2019 for the same or a similar item or service that is provided by a provider in the same or similar specialty and provided in the geographic region in which the item or service is furnished, consistent with the methodology established by the Secretary under paragraph (2)(B), increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) over 2019, such percentage increase over 2020, and such percentage increase over 2021; and (II) for an item or service furnished during 2023 or a subsequent year, the qualifying payment amount determined under this clause for such an item or service furnished in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) over such previous year. (ii) New plans and coverage The term “qualifying payment amount” means, with respect to a sponsor of a group health plan in a geographic region in which such sponsor, respectively, did not offer any group health plan or health insurance coverage during 2019— (I) for the first year in which such group health plan is offered in such region, a rate (determined in accordance with a methodology established by the Secretary) for items and services that are covered by such plan and furnished during such first year; and (II) for each subsequent year such group health plan is offered in such region, the qualifying payment amount determined under this clause for such items and services furnished in the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) over such previous year. (iii) Insufficient information; newly covered items and services In the case of a sponsor of a group health plan that does not have sufficient information to calculate the median of the contracted rates described in clause (i)(I) in 2019 (or, in the case of a newly covered item or service (as defined in clause (v)(III)), in the first coverage year (as defined in clause (v)(I)) for such item or service with respect to such plan) for an item or service (including with respect to provider type, or amount, of claims for items or services (as determined by the Secretary) provided in a particular geographic region (other than in a case with respect to which clause (ii) applies)) the term “qualifying payment amount”— (I) for an item or service furnished during 2022 (or, in the case of a newly covered item or service, during the first coverage year for such item or service with respect to such plan), means such rate for such item or service determined by the sponsor through use of any database that is determined, in accordance with rulemaking described in paragraph (2)(B), to not have any conflicts of interest and to have sufficient information reflecting allowed amounts paid to a health care provider or facility for relevant services furnished in the applicable geographic region (such as a State all-payer claims database); (II) for an item or service furnished in a subsequent year (before the first sufficient information year (as defined in clause (v)(II)) for such item or service with respect to such plan), means the rate determined under subclause (I) or this subclause, as applicable, for such item or service for the year previous to such subsequent year, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) over such previous year; (III) for an item or service furnished in the first sufficient information year for such item or service with respect to such plan, has the meaning given the term qualifying payment amount in clause (i)(I), except that in applying such clause to such item or service, the reference to “furnished during 2022” shall be treated as a reference to furnished during such first sufficient information year, the reference to “on January 31, 2019 ” shall be treated as a reference to in such sufficient information year, and the increase described in such clause shall not be applied; and (IV) for an item or service furnished in any year subsequent to the first sufficient information year for such item or service with respect to such plan, has the meaning given such term in clause (i)(II), except that in applying such clause to such item or service, the reference to “furnished during 2023 or a subsequent year” shall be treated as a reference to furnished during the year after such first sufficient information year or a subsequent year. (iv) Insurance market For purposes of clause (i)(I), a health insurance market specified in this clause is one of the following: (I) The large group market (other than plans described in subclause (III)). (II) The small group market (other than plans described in subclause (III)). (III) In the case of a self-insured group health plan, other self-insured group health plans. (v) Definitions For purposes of this subparagraph: (I) First coverage year The term “first coverage year” means, with respect to a group health plan and an item or service for which coverage is not offered in 2019 under such plan or coverage, the first year after 2019 for which coverage for such item or service is offered under such plan. (II) First sufficient information year The term “first sufficient information year” means, with respect to a group health plan— (aa) in the case of an item or service for which the plan does not have sufficient information to calculate the median of the contracted rates described in clause (i)(I) in 2019, the first year subsequent to 2022 for which such sponsor has such sufficient information to calculate the median of such contracted rates in the year previous to such first subsequent year; and (bb) in the case of a newly covered item or service, the first year subsequent to the first coverage year for such item or service with respect to such plan for which the sponsor has sufficient information to calculate the median of the contracted rates described in clause (i)(I) in the year previous to such first subsequent year. (III) Newly covered item or service The term “newly covered item or service” means, with respect to a group health plan, an item or service for which coverage was not offered in 2019 under such plan or coverage, but is offered under such plan or coverage in a year after 2019. (F) Nonparticipating emergency facility; participating emergency facility (i) Nonparticipating emergency facility The term “nonparticipating emergency facility” means, with respect to an item or service and a group health plan, an emergency department of a hospital, or an independent freestanding emergency department, that does not have a contractual relationship directly or indirectly with the plan for furnishing such item or service under the plan. (ii) Participating emergency facility The term “participating emergency facility” means, with respect to an item or service and a group health plan, an emergency department of a hospital, or an independent freestanding emergency department, that has a contractual relationship directly or indirectly with the plan, with respect to the furnishing of such an item or service at such facility. (G) Nonparticipating providers; participating providers (i) Nonparticipating provider The term “nonparticipating provider” means, with respect to an item or service and a group health plan, a physician or other health care provider who is acting within the scope of practice of that provider’s license or certification under applicable State law and who does not have a contractual relationship with the plan or issuer, respectively, for furnishing such item or service under the plan. (ii) Participating provider The term “participating provider” means, with respect to an item or service and a group health plan, a physician or other health care provider who is acting within the scope of practice of that provider’s license or certification under applicable State law and who has a contractual relationship with the plan for furnishing such item or service under the plan. (H) Recognized amount The term “recognized amount” means, with respect to an item or service furnished by a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility during a year and a group health plan— (i) subject to clause (iii), in the case of such item or service furnished in a State that has in effect a specified State law with respect to such plan; such a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility; and such an item or service, the amount determined in accordance with such law; (ii) subject to clause (iii), in the case of such item or service furnished in a State that does not have in effect a specified State law, with respect to such plan; such a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility; and such an item or service, the amount that is the qualifying payment amount (as defined in subparagraph (E)) for such year and determined in accordance with rulemaking described in paragraph (2)(B)) (iii) in the case of such item or service furnished in a State with an All-Payer Model Agreement under section 1115A of the Social Security Act, the amount that the State approves under such system for such item or service so furnished. (I) Specified State law The term “specified State law” means, with respect to a State, an item or service furnished by a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility during a year and a group health plan, a State law that provides for a method for determining the total amount payable under such a plan (to the extent such State law applies to such plan, subject to section 514 1 ) in the case of a participant or beneficiary covered under such plan and receiving such item or service from such a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility. (J) Stabilize The term “to stabilize”, with respect to an emergency medical condition (as defined in subparagraph (B)), has the meaning give in section 1867(e)(3) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395dd(e)(3) ). (K) Out-of-network rate The term “out-of-network rate” means, with respect to an item or service furnished in a State during a year to a participant or beneficiary of a group health plan receiving such item or service from a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility— (i) subject to clause (iii), in the case of such item or service furnished in a State that has in effect a specified State law with respect to such plan; such a nonparticipating provider or nonparticipating emergency facility; and such an item or service, the amount determined in accordance with such law; (ii) subject to clause (iii), in the case such State does not have in effect such a law with respect to such item or service, plan, and provider or facility— (I) subject to subclause (II), if the provider or facility (as applicable) and such plan or coverage agree on an amount of payment (including if such agreed on amount is the initial payment sent by the plan under subsection (a)(1)(C)(iv)(I), subsection (b)(1)(C), or section 9817(a)(3)(A), as applicable, or is agreed on through open negotiations under subsection (c)(1)) with respect to such item or service, such agreed on amount; or (II) if such provider or facility (as applicable) and such plan or coverage enter the independent dispute resolution process under subsection (c) and do not so agree before the date on which a certified IDR entity (as defined in paragraph (4) of such subsection) makes a determination with respect to such item or service under such subsection, the amount of such determination; or (iii) in the case such State has an All-Payer Model Agreement under section 1115A of the Social Security Act, the amount that the State approves under such system for such item or service so furnished. (L) Cost-sharing The term “cost-sharing” includes copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.