The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 was enacted on December 27, 2020 and contains many provisions to help protect consumers from surprise bills, including the No Surprises Act under title I and Transparency under title II.   

The No Surprises Act, implemented on January 1, 2022, provides important consumer protections against unexpected medical bills. Clients can rest assured that if they receive emergency care, visit an in-network facility, or inadvertently receive services from an out-of-network provider, they will only be responsible for their regular cost-sharing amount. This act eliminates the stress and financial burden often associated with surprise medical bills, offering clients peace of mind and greater transparency in healthcare billing practices. It is a significant step towards ensuring that individuals are not blindsided by unforeseen expenses when seeking necessary medical treatment.

Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, healthcare providers and healthcare facilities are required to inform healthcare consumers not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing of their ability, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services, to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under this law, health care providers are required to provide clients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.