No Surprises Act brings new federal protections against unexpected medical bills

No Surprises Act brings new federal protections against unexpected medical bills
Debra Smith holds her medical bills in her living room on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Spring Hill, Tenn. Smith figures she has around $10,000 in unpaid medical bills from a string of hospital stays over the past year, even though she has coverage through Medicare. She hasn't been able to make much progress paying them off. Mark Zaleski / AP Photo
No Surprises Act brings new federal protections against unexpected medical bills
Debra Smith holds her medical bills in her living room on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Spring Hill, Tenn. Smith figures she has around $10,000 in unpaid medical bills from a string of hospital stays over the past year, even though she has coverage through Medicare. She hasn't been able to make much progress paying them off. Mark Zaleski / AP Photo

No Surprises Act brings new federal protections against unexpected medical bills

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Depending on the procedure or service you get, surprise medical bills can end up costing thousands of dollars.Thanks to the No Surprises Act, Americans have new federal protections against unexpected bills from out-of-network providers.

Reset gets the latest on what the bill means for patients, providers and the health care industry. Plus, we open the phones to listeners to hear about their experiences with surprise medical bills.

GUEST: Dan Weissmann, host and executive producer of An Arm and a Leg; writer of First Aid Kit