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Some surprises are nice, such as a gift you weren’t expecting or a better outcome than you anticipated. Other surprises, such as being billed for urgent or emergency medical costs at a much higher rate than you expected is most definitely not. At Fountain Hills Medical Center, we want to make sure you know about the No Surprises Act, and how we practice this law to protect you during some of your most vulnerable and stressful times.

The No Surprises Act is a new federal law that aims to protect consumers from unexpected medical bills. The law, which was signed by President Biden in late 2021, is a response to the widespread problem of patients receiving unexpected and often unaffordable medical bills for out-of-network services. Under the No Surprises Act, patients will no longer be responsible for paying the difference between what their insurance covers and what an out-of-network provider charges. This means that if you receive care from an out-of-network provider, your insurance plan will be required to pay the provider the same amount that it would an in-network provider for the same services.

The No Surprises Act also promotes fairness and transparency. It requires insurance plans to provide patients with clear and accurate information about their out-of-pocket costs, and helps ensure that patients are not misled or taken advantage of.

At Fountain Hills Medical Center we strive to further protect you from surprise billing in a variety of ways. For one, we accept all major insurance plans and also treat those who are private pay or uninsured. Also, we will never balance bill you at the time of your service, even when out of network. We provide a clear and concise explanation of billing so you know exactly what’s being billed, and why.

After your medical service at our Fountain Hills emergency room you’ll receive an EOB (explanation of benefits) from your insurance provider. Please note that THIS IS NOT A BILL. And even if you receive communication from your insurance company about how the emergency care you received was out of your coverage network, rest assured that your insurance company is mandated by law to reimburse us a fair and reasonable rate. In fact, our emergency room is considered out of network for all major insurance plans, but thanks to our cooperation with the No Surprises Act you’ll be billed as if we are in network with your insurance plan.

We’re grateful for this drastic measure taken to ensure that you are not penalized for seeing care that’s convenient and close to wherever you happen to be when a medical emergency strikes. We’re thankful that all patients have access to our high-quality care, regardless of insurance coverage. As your Fountain Hills urgent care center and Fountain Hills emergency room we understand the importance of receiving this level of quality medical care, close to home. Not having to worry about whether the medical center in your community is in network give you confidence that you’re making the right choice in choosing us for your emergency, urgent, and routine medical care.

Cms.gov
Patientadvocate.org
Usnews.com
Nytimes.com