Rates & Insurance

Your Rights and Protections
Against Surprise Medical Bills 

When you get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an  in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from balance billing. In these cases, you shouldn’t be charged more than your plan’s  copayments, coinsurance and/or deductible.

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)? 

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs,  like a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. You may have additional 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” means providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health  plan to provide services. Out-of-network providers may be allowed to bill you for the difference  between what your plan pays 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 plan’s deductible or 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. Surprise medical  bills could cost thousands of dollars depending on the procedure or service.  

You’re 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 they can bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing  amount (such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles). You can’t be balance 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 can 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 types of 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’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also  aren’t required to get out-of-network care. You can choose a provider or facility  in your plan’s network.  

When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have these protections: 

• You’re only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance,  and deductible that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health  plan will pay any additional costs to out-of-network providers and facilities directly. 

• Generally, your health plan must: 

o Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in  advance (also known as “prior authorization”). 

o Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers. 

o 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. 

o Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services  toward your in-network deductible and out-of-pocket limit. 

If you think you’ve been wrongly billed, contact No Surprises Help Desk (NSHD) at 1-800-985-3059. You may also contact the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736.

Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises for more information about your rights under federal law. 

Visit https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers/health_insurance/surprise_medical_bills for more information about your rights under New York State law.