Ban on ‘surprise’ medical bills on track for Jan. 1 rollout

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is putting final touches on long-sought consumer protections against so-called “surprise” medical bills. The ban on charges that hit insured patients at some of life’s most vulnerable moments is on track to take effect Jan. 1. Patients will no longer have to worry about getting a huge bill following a medical crisis if the closest hospital emergency room happened to have been outside their insurance plan’s provider network. They’ll also be protected from unexpected charges if an out-of-network clinician takes part in a surgery or procedure conducted at an in-network hospital.