In certain states, one is protected from balance billing for emergency, hospital, and ambulatory services. Balance billing is when one is surprised that an out-of-network doctor/group bills rack rate for services provided by team of in-network and out-of-network providers.
Though, I have noted online that one may give written consent to give up these protections. Why would one sign such a document to give up these protections, and how would such a document be worded?
And at least in emergency settings, I would hope throwing a bunch of papers in front of someone in pain giving up such protections would not hold up in court.
