Health Agent · No Surprises Act
That surprise medical bill may be against federal law.
Since 2022, the federal No Surprises Act bans balance billing in a lot of common situations — emergency care, out-of-network providers at an in-network hospital, air ambulances. Answer a few questions and see whether your bill is likely protected, where the real exceptions are, and exactly what to do next.
Bill checker
A few questions about the bill.
Result
In one line
Every answer comes straight from the federal No Surprises Act, computed in the page you already loaded — no upload, no account, no server call. See the proof →
How it works
Honest about the gaps, not just the protections
Most explainers tell you the No Surprises Act protects you and stop there. This one also tells you where it doesn't — a ground ambulance bill is not covered by the federal law, and a provider can sometimes balance bill you if you signed a proper consent form in advance. Knowing the exception is what keeps you from arguing a losing point and missing the winning one.
It explains a federal right; it does not decide whether your specific bill is lawful, and it never tells you to stop paying. For your situation, the CMS No Surprises Help Desk and a copy of the bill are the next stop.
It connects to the rest of the fight
A bill is often half of a denial
If the bill exists because a claim was denied, decode the denial code and check whether the prior-authorization request had what it needed. To get the underlying records, the records requester writes the HIPAA request for you.
Questions
Common questions
Does anything I enter get sent anywhere?
No. The check is computed by code already running in your browser. There is no server endpoint behind this page — your answers never travel over the network and are not stored.
Are ground ambulances covered?
No — and this trips up a lot of people. The federal No Surprises Act covers air ambulances but Congress left ground ambulances out. Some states have their own protections, so it's still worth checking your state and asking for an itemized bill.
I signed something at the hospital. Did I give up my protection?
Maybe, but not always. For certain providers — anesthesiology, radiology, pathology and other ancillary services — you cannot waive the protection no matter what you signed. For others, a waiver only counts if the notice met strict federal requirements and was given in advance. If it was rushed or unclear, the protection may still apply.
Is this legal advice?
No. It explains your rights under a federal law; it does not determine whether a specific bill is lawful and does not tell you to stop paying. Confirm your situation with the CMS No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059. Health Agent is not affiliated with or endorsed by CMS.