Patient Protections Against Surprise Billing

When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.

What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)? When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providersmay be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.

“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in-network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.

You are protected from balance billing for:

Emergency services

If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Michigan Public Health Code 333.24509 Section 3:

Your health benefit plan may or may not provide coverage for all of the health care services you are scheduled to receive or the providers providing those services. You may be responsible for the costs of the services that are not covered by your health benefit plan.

  The nonparticipating provider must provide a good-faith estimate of the cost of the health care services to be provided. A good-faith estimate does not take into account unforeseen circumstances, which may affect the cost of the health care services provided.

  You also have a right to request that the health care services be performed by a provider that participates with your health benefit plan, and may contact your carrier to arrange for those services to be provided at a lower cost and to receive information on in-network providers who can perform the health care services that you need.

  I have received, read, and understand this disclosure.

__________________________________________

  (Patient or patient's representative's signature)

 __________________________________________________

(Date)

Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center

When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.

Michigan Public Health Code 333.24509 Section 3:

Your health benefit plan may or may not provide coverage for all of the health care services you are scheduled to receive or the providers providing those services. You may be responsible for the costs of the services that are not covered by your health benefit plan.

  The nonparticipating provider must provide a good-faith estimate of the cost of the health care services to be provided. A good-faith estimate does not take into account unforeseen circumstances, which may affect the cost of the health care services provided.

  You also have a right to request that the health care services be performed by a provider that participates with your health benefit plan, and may contact your carrier to arrange for those services to be provided at a lower cost and to receive information on in-network providers who can perform the health care services that you need.

  I have received, read, and understand this disclosure.

__________________________________________

  (Patient or patient's representative's signature)

 __________________________________________________

(Date)

When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:

• You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.

• Your health plan generally must:

• Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
• Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
• Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
• Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact your health insurer, and if they cannot resolve the issue, contact DIFS Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442 or visit the DIFS website to file a complaint.