No More Surprises: First Rules From No Surprises Act Released

The Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of the Treasury, and Office of Personnel Management have released the first set of rules from the No Surprises Act, a new law aimed at preventing surprise medical bills. The Act will eliminate balance billing by ensuring patients only pay the deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance that they would have paid for in-network providers.

Background

Surprise billing occurs when a patient receives a bill for the difference between an out-of-network provider charge and the patient's often limited out-of-network health insurance coverage and benefits. This commonly occurs when a patient is treated by an out-of-network professional or is treated at an out-of-network facility. This can happen during emergency situations such as when a patient is taken to an out-of-network emergency room or is transported by air ambulance.