Protection from Surprise Bills and Emergency Services
A new law in NYS went into effect March 31, 2015 that protects consumers from surprise bills when services are performed by a non-participating (out-of-network) doctor at a participating hospital or ambulatory surgical center in your HMO or insurer’s network or when a participating doctor refers an insured to a non-participating provider. The new law also protects all consumers from bills for emergency services.
If you or a family member had a recent hospital stay or procedures done at an IN-NETWORK medical setting within New York State, and you get bills from out-of-network providers, fill out the form (link below) and mail it with a copy of the bill to your insurance carrier and the billing department. The bill will be under review and could be worked out among the parties involved, but you must fill out the form and mail it in. Make sure to keep copies for yourself and keep notes when you mailed it.
For more detailed info, go to the NYS Dept. of Financial Services website at: