Federal IDR outcomes in North Carolina
In 2025 Q1–Q4, the provider or facility offer prevailed in 82.6% of 49,781 determined Federal IDR dispute line items for services provided in North Carolina. The median prevailing offer was 2.64x the QPA (25th–75th percentile 1.77x–3.45x; n = 44,548). The median time to a decision was 35 business days (n = 49,781).
Determined line items
49,781
2025 Q1–Q4 · 62 split decisions excluded
Provider win rate
82.6%
n = 49,781 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Median payment vs QPA
2.64x
middle half 1.77x–3.45x · n = 44,548 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Median days to decision
35
business days, from dispute initiation · n = 49,781 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Dollar amounts
Total awarded
$39.8M
sum of prevailing offers · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Total QPA
$14.7M
sum of QPAs, same line items · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Awarded above QPA
$25.1M
total awarded minus total QPA · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Median award per line item
$632
mean $837 · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Median QPA
$255
per line item · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Award vs QPA, dollar-weighted
2.71x
total awarded ÷ total QPA · n = 47,489 · 2025 Q1–Q4
Dollar amounts come from the separate CMS “QPA and Offers” file: line items decided for the provider or the plan with a non-suppressed QPA and prevailing offer. That file cannot be joined to the line items above, so its n differs. Awarded = the prevailing (selected) offer; it is not a record of what was paid. State comes from the file’s geographic region; a metro area that spans states counts in each. How the dollar figures work
Dollar amounts by period
| Period | Line items with $ | Total awarded | Total QPA | Above QPA | Median award | Median QPA | Award ×QPA ($-weighted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q1–Q4 | 47,489 | $39.8M | $14.7M | $25.1M | $632 | $255 | 2.71x |
| 2024 Q3–Q4 | 15,449 | $11.2M | $5.2M | $6.0M | $574 | $244 | 2.16x |
| 2024 Q3–2025 Q4 | 62,938 | $50.9M | $19.8M | $31.1M | $614 | $252 | 2.57x |
| 2023 Q1–2024 Q2 | Not available (see methodology). | ||||||
From the CMS QPA and Offers file (see above). Award ×QPA here is total awarded ÷ total QPA, so large claims weigh more than in the per-line median ratio.
By period
| Period | Line items | Win % | Median ×QPA | 25th–75th | Ratio n | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q1–Q4 | 49,781 | 82.6% | 2.64x | 1.77x–3.45x | 44,548 | 35 |
| 2024 Q1–Q4 | 27,465 | 83.9% | 2.07x | 1.57x–2.99x | 25,152 | 122 |
| 2023 Q1–Q4 | 7,920 | 79.6% | 2.07x | 1.60x–3.01x | 6,872 | 93 |
| 2023 Q1–2025 Q4 | 85,166 | 82.7% | 2.48x | 1.64x–3.21x | 76,572 | not pooled |
Line items = determined dispute line items (n). Win rate excludes split decisions and includes default decisions. Ratio n = line items reporting a payment-to-QPA ratio. Days are business days as reported by CMS (2023–2024: from IDR entity assignment; 2025: from initiation) and are never pooled.
By specialty in North Carolina
| Specialty group | Line items | Win % | Median ×QPA | Ratio n | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency medicine and emergency departments | 31,645 | 83.4% | 2.70x | 28,961 | 35 |
| Anesthesiology | 11,028 | 90.0% | 1.96x | 9,686 | 34 |
| Intraoperative neuromonitoring | 3,169 | 84.5% | 14.81x | 2,185 | 32 |
| Hospital medicine (hospitalists) | 1,840 | 92.7% | 3.08x | 1,760 | 61 |
| Not reported / unspecified | 1,463 | 3.6% | 1.00x | 1,351 | 112 |
| Hospitals and facilities | 408 | 50.5% | 1.00x | 386 | 34 |
| Neurology | 57 | 98.2% | 31.34x † | 56 | 30 |
| Internal and family medicine | 51 | 88.2% | 4.66x | 51 | 37 |
| Radiology | 47 | 8.5% | 1.00x | 47 | 50 |
2025 Q1–Q4 · rows with n ≥ 30 determined line items · sorted by n.
Most disputed CPT codes in North Carolina
| CPT code | Line items | Win % | Median ×QPA | Ratio n | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99284 Emergency department visit with moderate level of medical decision making | 14,996 | 83.1% | 2.61x | 14,076 | 39 |
| 99285 Emergency department visit with high level of medical decision making | 12,198 | 77.4% | 2.70x | 11,222 | 35 |
| 99283 Emergency department visit with low level of medical decision making | 2,275 | 88.2% | 2.77x | 2,165 | 37 |
| 93010 Routine electrocardiogram (ECG) using at least 12 leads with interpretation and | 1,495 | 72.3% | 2.80x | 1,074 | 28 |
| 99291 Critical care, first 30-74 minutes | 1,344 | 77.3% | 2.60x | 1,221 | 28 |
| 00812 Anesthesia for exam of colon using an endoscope | 1,274 | 85.7% | 2.19x | 1,235 | 27 |
| 99232 Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using | 1,026 | 92.4% | 3.12x | 983 | 83 |
| 95938 Placement of skin electrodes and measurement of stimulated sites on arms and leg | 871 | 84.5% | 27.60x † | 625 | 31 |
| 95941 Continuous remote monitoring of nervous system during operation, each hour | 638 | 85.6% | 8.60x | 417 | 28 |
| 95939 Placement of skin electrodes and measurement of central motor stimulation in arm | 590 | 84.2% | 12.06x | 449 | 31 |
| 00731 Anesthesia for other procedure on esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel using | 567 | 86.4% | 2.15x | 532 | 31 |
| 00840 Anesthesia for other procedure on lower abdomen | 490 | 86.1% | 1.60x | 440 | 46 |
| 01400 Anesthesia for other procedure or exam of knee joint using an endoscope | 446 | 88.8% | 1.74x | 405 | 57 |
| 99233 Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using | 426 | 92.5% | 3.13x | 400 | 41 |
| 00142 Anesthesia for lens surgery | 397 | 94.2% | 2.05x | 352 | 35 |
| 00811 Anesthesia for other procedure on large bowel using an endoscope | 386 | 87.8% | 2.19x | 337 | 31 |
| 00813 Anesthesia for procedure on small and large bowel using an endoscope | 365 | 87.7% | 2.27x | 335 | 29 |
| 01630 Anesthesia for other procedure on top of arm bone and shoulder joint | 354 | 86.2% | 1.67x | 317 | 46 |
| 64415 Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into arm nerve bundle (brachial ple | 299 | 91.6% | 3.46x | 275 | 44 |
| 95937 Testing of nerve-muscle junction | 294 | 81.0% | 18.12x | 145 | 35.5 |
| 01402 Anesthesia for procedure for total knee joint replacement | 293 | 90.4% | 1.65x | 247 | 39 |
| 99223 Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using t | 293 | 80.5% | 2.17x | 280 | 45 |
| 00790 Anesthesia for other procedure on upper abdomen | 286 | 89.9% | 1.66x | 232 | 43 |
| 01810 Anesthesia for procedure on nerves, muscles, tendons, and tissue of forearm, wri | 286 | 91.6% | 1.79x | 251 | 50 |
| 64447 Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into thigh nerve (femoral nerve) | 263 | 90.9% | 3.70x | 237 | 39 |
2025 Q1–Q4 · rows with n ≥ 30 determined line items · sorted by n.
Payers with the most determined line items in North Carolina
Payer = health plan/issuer email domain reported by CMS, with the most common plan name for that domain. Some domains belong to vendors acting for plans.
| Payer (email domain) | Line items | Win % | Median ×QPA | Ratio n | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED HEALTHCARE (uhc.com) | 20,571 | 84.1% | 2.41x | 18,905 | 43 |
| CIGNA (cigna.com) | 7,916 | 70.6% | 3.14x | 7,054 | 29 |
| BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD NORTH CAROLINA (bcbsnc.com) | 7,495 | 88.1% | 2.78x | 6,739 | 54 |
| UMR (clearhealthcloud.com) | 2,789 | 89.6% | 2.17x | 2,528 | 33 |
| UMR (clearhs.com) | 2,591 | 88.1% | 1.92x | 1,861 | 29 |
| AETNA (aetna.com) | 2,433 | 75.1% | 2.28x | 2,361 | 27 |
| CIGNA (multiplan.com) | 1,789 | 82.9% | 3.32x | 1,613 | 43 |
| AMBETTER (centene.com) | 1,145 | 98.1% | 4.06x | 1,082 | 29 |
| HUMANA (humana.com) | 777 | 53.9% | 6.97x | 744 | 25 |
| ANTHEM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD (anthem.com) | 430 | 88.6% | 4.34x | 95 | 49 |
2025 Q1–Q4 · rows with n ≥ 30 determined line items · sorted by n.
Dollar amounts by CPT code in North Carolina
| CPT code | Line items with $ | Total awarded | Median award | Median QPA | Award ×QPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99284 Emergency department visit with moderate level of medical decision making | 19,886 | $11.3M | $600 | $206 | 2.43x |
| 99285 Emergency department visit with high level of medical decision making | 13,438 | $11.1M | $824 | $298 | 2.25x |
| 99283 Emergency department visit with low level of medical decision making | 2,815 | $1.2M | $405 | $115 | 2.82x |
| 99291 Critical care, first 30-74 minutes | 1,264 | $1.1M | $954 | $370 | 2.03x |
| 00812 Anesthesia for exam of colon using an endoscope | 1,241 | $1.6M | $1,350 | $536 | 2.52x |
| 93010 Routine electrocardiogram (ECG) using at least 12 leads with interpretation and | 976 | $34,670 | $44 | $7 | 3.11x |
| 99232 Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using | 890 | $231,685 | $278 | $85 | 2.98x |
| 95938 Placement of skin electrodes and measurement of stimulated sites on arms and leg | 523 | $2.1M | $1,817 | $82 | 24.62x |
| 00731 Anesthesia for other procedure on esophagus, stomach, or upper small bowel using | 443 | $513,626 | $1,237 | $440 | 2.43x |
| 01400 Anesthesia for other procedure or exam of knee joint using an endoscope | 370 | $321,956 | $706 | $429 | 1.87x |
| 00840 Anesthesia for other procedure on lower abdomen | 328 | $486,580 | $1,207 | $697 | 1.95x |
| 99233 Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using | 322 | $121,082 | $393 | $124 | 2.92x |
| 00811 Anesthesia for other procedure on large bowel using an endoscope | 264 | $289,104 | $1,159 | $423 | 2.50x |
| 95939 Placement of skin electrodes and measurement of central motor stimulation in arm | 264 | $1.1M | $2,229 | $221 | 17.30x |
| 01630 Anesthesia for other procedure on top of arm bone and shoulder joint | 263 | $295,230 | $971 | $569 | 1.91x |
| 00142 Anesthesia for lens surgery | 259 | $173,049 | $557 | $271 | 2.91x |
| 99223 Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using t | 259 | $174,656 | $527 | $238 | 2.83x |
| 95941 Continuous remote monitoring of nervous system during operation, each hour | 254 | $2.9M | $7,850 | $1,191 | 7.46x |
| 00813 Anesthesia for procedure on small and large bowel using an endoscope | 249 | $368,244 | $1,630 | $554 | 2.48x |
| 64488 Injection of local anesthetic for abdominal wall pain control on both sides usin | 181 | $141,592 | $570 | $181 | 4.14x |
| 64415 Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into arm nerve bundle (brachial ple | 165 | $96,795 | $475 | $168 | 3.34x |
| 01810 Anesthesia for procedure on nerves, muscles, tendons, and tissue of forearm, wri | 164 | $110,171 | $564 | $334 | 1.88x |
| 01961 Anesthesia for cesarean delivery | 163 | $221,430 | $1,096 | $685 | 1.92x |
| 01402 Anesthesia for procedure for total knee joint replacement | 156 | $258,813 | $1,418 | $859 | 2.03x |
| 00170 Anesthesia for other procedure on mouth | 143 | $122,544 | $706 | $412 | 2.01x |
2025 Q1–Q4 · CMS QPA and Offers file · rows with n ≥ 30 line items with dollar amounts · sorted by n · Award ×QPA = total awarded ÷ total QPA.
FAQ
What is the Federal IDR provider win rate for services provided in North Carolina?
In 2025 Q1–Q4, the provider or facility offer was selected in 82.6% of 49,781 determined dispute line items for services provided in North Carolina. Split decisions are excluded from the denominator and default decisions are included. Withdrawn, settled and ineligible disputes are not in the CMS data.
How do Federal IDR payments compare with the QPA for services provided in North Carolina?
In 2025 Q1–Q4, the median prevailing offer was 2.64x the qualifying payment amount (QPA), with a 25th to 75th percentile range of 1.77x to 3.45x (n = 44,548 line items). This uses the CMS field Prevailing Party Offer as % of QPA, where 1.00x equals the QPA.
How long do Federal IDR decisions take for services provided in North Carolina?
In 2025 Q1–Q4, the median was 35 business days (n = 49,781 line items), using the CMS field Length of Time to Make Determination (from dispute initiation).
North Carolina figures count line items whose place of service was North Carolina. See methodology for caveats.