Surprise medical bills can still affect the insured

Some time ago, Congress passed legislation to protect patients from surprise billing. As KFF Health News points out, though, such protection mostly extends to out-of-network patients (including uninsured and self-pay). Apparently, the legislation also included wording regarding in-network patients, requiring "what amounted to a good-faith estimate of out-of-pocket costs for patients with insurance, but that provision has not been implemented, since, nearly five years later, the government still has not issued rules about exactly what form it should take."

Oddly enough, out-of-network (including uninsured) patients appear to have more rights under the No Surprises Act than insured patients. Patients with insurance can request an estimate, but providers appear to not be bound by those estimates. When patients are shocked by some charges (the article cited an example of a provider charging $2,700 for a nasal swab), it seems that providers can simply say "Healthcare billing is complex and includes various factors and data points, so actual charges for care provided may differ from initial estimates. We understand the frustration these discrepancies can cause."