January 4, 2022 3:30 a.m.

A new federal law will protect consumers against many types of surprise medical bills.

An update from the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services said those bills are typically sent by health care providers for the remaining charges for services received that are not covered by insurance. The new law protects consumers from either of these situations:

*Emergency services provided out of network, including air ambulance services but not ground ambulance services

*Nonemergency services provided by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility

The release said those who believed they have received a surprise medical bill from a health care provider that meets either criteria, can contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by going to: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers

More information about the new law is at: https://dfr.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx