Surprise bills and ambulance bills in New Mexico

For emergency care from an out-of-network provider, and for non-emergency care at an in-network facility when you could not choose an in-network provider (or did not give specific consent), you owe only your in-network cost sharing.

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

What New Mexico adds

State law

Surprise Billing Protection Act (2019)

Which plans it covers

State-regulated individual and group health insurance, HMO and nonprofit health plans. Self-funded employer plans are generally covered only by federal law.

What it adds

For emergency care from an out-of-network provider, and for non-emergency care at an in-network facility when you could not choose an in-network provider (or did not give specific consent), you owe only your in-network cost sharing. An out-of-network provider may not knowingly send you a surprise bill, and any letter about such a bill must say you owe only in-network cost sharing. If you paid more, the provider must refund the extra within 45 days of being paid by the insurer, or pay interest. Collection agencies collecting medical debt from New Mexico residents must post a notice of these rights on their website.

Law: NMSA 1978, 59A-57A-1 to 59A-57A-13 (Laws 2019, SB 337)

Itemized bills and price estimates in New Mexico

New Mexico law gives you a right to an itemized bill.

Every bill from a health care facility, separately billing provider or medical creditor must give a complete, plain-language description of the date, amount and nature of all charges, say whether your insurance was verified and whether you were screened for assistance programs, and whether insurance or public programs have been or will be billed. Anyone contacting you about medical debt, including a collector, must tell you this information is available and offer to give it to you (no more than once every 30 days). Within 30 business days of receiving a payment, they must send you a receipt showing the amount, date, new balance, interest, account number, current owner of the debt and whether the payment was accepted as payment in full.

Law: NMSA 1978, 57-32-6, 57-32-7

Price estimates

Hospitals and other licensed health facilities must post on their website the health plans they contract with and a statement that doctors working there may be out of network and bill separately. An out-of-network provider who knows in advance must tell you it is out of network and advise you to contact your insurer.

Law: NMSA 1978, 59A-57A-5 (Laws 2019, SB 337, sec. 5)

Where to complain in New Mexico

Free tools, letters and checklist

Nearby states