Surprise bills and ambulance bills in Michigan

An out-of-network doctor or other licensed professional may collect only your in-network copay, coinsurance or deductible for emergency care at any facility, for care during a hospital stay that began within 72 hours of an emergency room visit, and for non-emergency care at an in-network facility (hospital, surgery center, skilled nursing facility, doctor's office, lab or imaging center) if you could not choose an in-network provider or were not given the required disclosure.

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

What Michigan adds

State law

Michigan surprise medical billing law

Law: Public Health Code Article 18, Part 245; MCL 333.24501-333.24517 (esp. 333.24507, 333.24509)

Which plans it covers

Health insurance and HMO plans regulated by the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS), and self-funded plans of the State of Michigan and local governments for their employees. Self-funded plans of private employers are not covered.

What it adds

An out-of-network doctor or other licensed professional may collect only your in-network copay, coinsurance or deductible for emergency care at any facility, for care during a hospital stay that began within 72 hours of an emergency room visit, and for non-emergency care at an in-network facility (hospital, surgery center, skilled nursing facility, doctor's office, lab or imaging center) if you could not choose an in-network provider or were not given the required disclosure. For scheduled care, an out-of-network provider must give you a written disclosure to sign and a good-faith cost estimate.

Law: MCL 333.24501-333.24517 (esp. 333.24507, 333.24509)

Itemized bills and price estimates in Michigan

As a patient of a licensed health facility, you are entitled to receive and examine an explanation of your bill, no matter who pays it.

Law: MCL 333.20201(2)(i)

Price estimates

An out-of-network provider giving you scheduled non-emergency care must give you a good-faith estimate of the cost along with a signed disclosure. If the provider does not give the disclosure, it may collect only your in-network cost sharing.

Law: MCL 333.24509

Where to complain in Michigan

Free tools, letters and checklist

Nearby states