Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory
surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
What is “Balance Billing” (sometimes called “Surprised Billing”)?
When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment,
coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a
health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.
“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network
providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay, and the full amount
charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same
service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like
when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an
out-of-network provider.
You Are Protected From Balance Billing For:
Emergency Services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the
most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and
coinsurance). You can’t be balanced billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-
stabilization services.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-
network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or
intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be
balance billed.
If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give
written consent and give up your protections.
You are never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.
California also provides various balance billing protections. In most instances, you cannot be charged more than your in-
network cost share amount for emergency and non-emergency services. For more information about your specific rights under California law, visit the California Department of Insurance.
When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:
You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you
would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities
directly.
Your health plan generally must:
- Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
- Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
- Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and
show that amount in your explanation of benefits. - Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-
pocket limit.
If you think you have been wrongly billed, contact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services phone: 800-985-3059
• Visit cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers for more information about your rights under federal law.
• Visit insurance.ca.gov for more information about your rights under California law.
