Beginning Jan 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act began protecting consumers from unexpected out-of-network medical bills from emergency room visits, non-emergencies related to a visit to an in-network hospital and air ambulance services. If consumers don’t have health insurance, usually providers must give a good faith estimate of how much health care would cost. To help patients, encourage them to check their medical bills for errors, read explanations of benefits, apply for any medical bill financial assistance, and be sure to contact individual health plans and providers for appeals.