Congress Passes No Surprises Act!

You did it! We did it! It finally happened! Thanks in large part to You're the Cure advocates like you, Congress finally acted and passed legislation to protect patients from financially crippling surprise medical bills!

For those that don’t know, surprise medical bills can arise when patients unknowingly seek treatment from an out of network provider and are forced to pay the difference between their in-network rates and out. Often this is a result of an emergency situation, putting heart and stroke patients at an even greater risk of receiving financially crippling surprise medical bills. Equally as frequent, a patient is treated at an in-network facility by an out of network provider leading to extremely high, and unexpected medical bills.

Well, soon that will be a thing of the past! Thanks to advocates like you, Congress knew they had to address this critically important issue and while they waited until the last possible moment, they did it! Congress passed the No Surprises Act shortly before the end of the new year as part of the larger Congressional spending bill. Shortly after, then President Trump signed the package into law on December 27, 2020.

You’re probably asking what the No Surprises Act means for you and we are happy to say that, starting in 2022, patients will be protected from surprise medical bills in emergency and most non-emergency situations, including financially crippling air ambulance rides!

While the law isn’t perfect, we look forward to working with Congress and the new Administration as they implement the law to further strengthen the protections it provides, but know that it represents a monumental leap forward for patients and consumers. Just a few weeks ago we thought it was a longshot to pass, but thanks to a unified voice and consistent pressure from advocates and patients like you, it finally happened. Together, with thousands of You’re the Cure advocates from across the country, you made a big difference in the lives of millions! 

If you have any questions about how the No Surprises Act will protect patients or want more information about the new law, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

On behalf of the American Heart Association, everyone at You're the Cure and millions of patients across the country, I want to thank you for all that you do. You truly are a relentless force for a world of longer healthier lives! Now, let’s celebrate this huge win!