Surprise bills and ambulance bills in Maine

For a surprise bill (care from an out-of-network provider at an in-network provider or during approved care, when you did not knowingly choose the out-of-network provider) or a bill for covered emergency care from an out-of-network provider, you pay only your in-network cost sharing, and the provider may not bill you more.

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

What Maine adds

State law

Maine surprise bill and out-of-network emergency services law

Which plans it covers

Health plans regulated by the Maine Bureau of Insurance. People in self-funded employer plans not covered by the state law can use the state dispute process for emergency and surprise bills.

What it adds

For a surprise bill (care from an out-of-network provider at an in-network provider or during approved care, when you did not knowingly choose the out-of-network provider) or a bill for covered emergency care from an out-of-network provider, you pay only your in-network cost sharing, and the provider may not bill you more. If you overpaid, the provider must refund you within 30 days or pay 10% interest. If you are uninsured, a provider may not charge you more for emergency care than the amounts generally billed to insured patients, and if your emergency bills from one visit total $750 or more you can use the state dispute process; the provider may not seek payment while the dispute is pending. Providers must tell you whether a provider you are referred to is in your network before you schedule.

Ground ambulance

The state protects you

If you have a state-regulated plan, ambulance services that are covered emergency services count as emergency services: you pay only your in-network cost sharing and the out-of-network ambulance provider may not bill you more. The plan must pay out-of-network ambulance providers the provider's rate or 180% of the Medicare rate, whichever is less. Maine law does not set a separate ground ambulance rule for uninsured patients.

Law: 24-A M.R.S. §§ 4303-C(2)(A), (D-1), (F), 4303-F; 22 M.R.S. § 1718-D(2)

Law: 24-A M.R.S. § 4303-C; 22 M.R.S. § 1718-D

Itemized bills and price estimates in Maine

Maine law gives you a right to an itemized bill within 30 days.

When you leave the hospital, it must tell you in writing that it will give you an itemized bill if you ask. You can ask at discharge or any time within 7 years after discharge, and the hospital must send it within 30 days of your request.

Law: 22 M.R.S. § 1712

Price estimates

If you are uninsured or self-pay, a health care provider must give you a good faith estimate of the total price on request, with separate prices for each part of the care and the procedure codes, and tell you about its financial assistance policy. If it did not give a required estimate, it may not send the bill to collections, sue you or report you to a credit bureau for that care. If you are insured, the provider must give you a description of the services and their codes on request so you can ask your insurer for a cost estimate.

Law: 22 M.R.S. §§ 1718-C, 1718-J

Where to complain in Maine

Free tools, letters and checklist

Questions about medical bills in Maine

Am I protected from ground ambulance bills in Maine?

If you have a state-regulated plan, ambulance services that are covered emergency services count as emergency services: you pay only your in-network cost sharing and the out-of-network ambulance provider may not bill you more. The plan must pay out-of-network ambulance providers the provider's rate or 180% of the Medicare rate, whichever is less.

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