‘In Focus with KFF’: What to Know About the New Ban on Surprise Bills

Following years of bipartisan outcry over surprise medical bills, a new federal law that took effect Jan. 1 shields patients from receiving potentially large bills when they unexpectedly receive care out of network. In this new video, KFF Senior Fellow Karen Pollitz explains why surprise bills have been such a major problem for patients, how the new law works, potential gaps in the protections, and what patients can do if they believe they have received a surprise bill.

“This is a really important new protection,” Pollitz says in the video. “People are more worried about unexpected medical bills than just about any other affordability concern.”

Patients with a complaint about a surprise bill can contact a new federal hotline, the “No Surprises Help Desk,” at 1-800-985-3059.

This is the second video in our new series “In Focus with KFF,” featuring insights from our experts on health care issues in the news.