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WASHINGTON – A recent study conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association found that the now-law No Surprises Act, legislation authored by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), prevented two million surprise medical bills during January and February of 2022.

“Over two years ago, we set out to end patients being blindsided by expensive surprise medical bills,” said Dr. Cassidy. “With over two million surprise medical bills stopped in just two months, this solution is working for patients.”

According to the study, upwards of 12 million surprise medical bills could be avoided in 2022 thanks to the No Surprises Act.

The No Surprises Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2022, protects patients from having to pay out-of-network costs for emergency services, post-emergency stabilization services, and non-emergency services provided by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility. Patients can only be required to pay in-network costs for these services. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Cassidy in introducing the legislation.

These patient protections follow a two-year effort from Senators Cassidy and Hassan, starting with crafting the STOP Surprise Medical Bills Act to end this practice. In May of 2019, Senators Cassidy and Hassan joined President Trump at a White House event on the need to address this issue. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee – on which Senators Cassidy and Hassan serve – passed legislation to end surprise medical bills as part of a broader package of legislation to address health care costs called the Lower Health Care Costs Act. Senators Hassan and Cassidy’s efforts culminated in passing into law the No Surprises Act in December of 2020.

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