Surprise medical billing has become a big issue for American consumers, and Congress recently passed the “No Surprises Act” to address the issue. The new law aims to end surprise medical billing for consumers but does not go into effect until next year with regulatory issues being worked out this year.

Clinical laboratory services are the most common medical activity in the U.S, with more than 14 billion tests conducted each year and 70% of medical decisions reliant on such tests. Medical tests may be conducted in a primary care setting, but samples are often sent to independent laboratories.

Surprise billing can create a financial burden that discourages consumers from seeking medical care. These concerns are heightened by evidence that laboratory testing constitutes the fastest growing medical care spending. According to a recent study, 6% of lab tests resulted in surprise bills, followed by 5% of bills for ER services.

It is imperative to review your itemized statements from medical providers & laboratories to ensure all services billed are accurate which will avoid any “surprise billing.”