Billing Essentials
How To File a No Surprises Act Complaint
If a provider balance billed you illegally, the federal government wants to hear about it. Filing takes about ten minutes online.
Updated August 18, 2026 · 6 min read
Quick answer
To file a No Surprises Act complaint, visit CMS.gov/nosurprises or call 1-800-985-3059. Provide the provider details, service date, and bill amount, and describe the violation. You can also file with your state insurance department simultaneously. Keep copies of the disputed bill as evidence.
Confirm You Are Protected First
Before filing, verify your situation matches a protected scenario: emergency care, non-emergency services from an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility, or air ambulance transport. If you signed a consent waiver or used an out-of-network facility electively, the complaint may not succeed.
Where To File
Two channels work best together.
- Federal complaint - CMS.gov/nosurprises or 1-800-985-3059 (available in multiple languages).
- State complaint - your state insurance department, which enforces parallel state protections.
What To Include
Strong complaints contain specifics: the provider name and NPI if known, service dates, the disputed amount, your EOB showing in-network cost-sharing, and a short description of why the bill violates the act. Attach copies of the bill and EOB. Facts beat frustration in regulatory complaints.
What Happens Next
Regulators investigate violations and can penalize providers. Meanwhile, keep disputing the bill directly with the provider in writing, noting that you have filed complaints. The combination of federal scrutiny and persistent patient pushback resolves most cases.
Frequently asked questions
Does filing a complaint cost anything?
No. Federal and state complaints are free.
Will filing stop collection calls?
Not automatically, but notify the provider in writing that the bill is under regulatory review - most pause collections on actively complained-of violations.
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