Surprise medical bills are those that arise when a patient who has health insurance receives care from an out-of-network provider without previous notice. Such inadvertent care delivery and a subsequent bill for that care often arise in emergencies when a patient has no chance to select an emergency room, treating physicians, or ambulance providers who are in-network. Or, a surprise medical bill can result when a patient gets care from an in-network provider (at a hospital or ambulatory care facility) but a non-network provider is asked to participate in the patient’s care and the patient is not informed.
