New laws could save Americans from more than 12 million surprise medical bills this year

"In the first two months since a new federal law started blocking unexpected medical bills, consumers have avoided two million would-be surprise medical bills — and it could potentially be over 12 million unanticipated bills this year," Andrew Keshner reports for MarketWatch. "This is according to estimates released Tuesday on the early impact of the 'No Surprises Act' from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and AHIP, a health insurers’ trade association."

The law, signed by former President Trump in December 2020, "took effect on Jan. 1 and it prevents patients from getting blindsided by medical bills — and saddled with more medical debt — for out-of-network medical treatment. In recent years, one in five people undergoing elective surgery wound up with unplanned bills, researchers said in February 2020," Keshner reports.

The law is most helpful in emergency situations where patients don't have the time or ability to ensure their health-care plan covers needed doctors and services. However, though the law limits surprise billing for air ambulances—which mostly serve rural areas—ground ambulances are not covered, and unexpected ambulance charges can cost thousands of dollars.

About half of emergency ground ambulance rides result in out-of-network charges for people with private insurance, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. But fewer than half of U.S. adults have enough money in the bank to cover a an unexpected expense of $1,000, according to a recent Bankrate survey.