How balance billing works. When a medical provider is part of an insurance network, he agrees to offer discounted rates on services. Out-of-network providers are not bound by this agreement.

Balance billing usually occurs when you get medical services outside your network, and the difference between the network rate and the regular charge is tacked onto your bill.

“Balance billing is when your health care provider charges you for part of the bill that your insurance plan didn't allow. And that can only happen when you see an out-of-network provider." ...

Balance billing complaints are up 1,000 percent in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, balance billing complaints rose from 112 in 2012 to 1,334 in 2015, an increase of 1,000 ...

Make sure it's really a balance bill: Know your deductible, co-payment or co-insurance. Your plan may require you to pay 20 percent of the billed charges.

Altogether, 10 states have laws to limit balance billing for ambulance rides, but even those protections have large gaps. Most notably, they leave out the 60% of insured Americans whose health ...