You can submit a complaint with us

Health insurance companies and health care providers and facilities must follow rules that protect you from unexpected, or “surprise,” out-of-network bills.

If you have a question about these rules or believe the rules aren’t being followed, you can submit your question or complaint to the No Surprises Help Desk.

On this page

• What to expect
• What you need
• What happens next
• Submit a complaint

What to expect

Your complaint will go to the No Surprises Help Desk. The Help Desk can:

• Review your complaint to make sure your health insurance company, health care provider, or health care facility followed surprise billing rules.
• Investigate compliance with federal laws and policies under our jurisdiction.
• Refer your complaint to another applicable federal or state enforcement authority, if necessary.

Call the Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059 to get help submitting your complaint or to find out your next steps. We can help you in English, Spanish and over 350 other languages. 

What you need

Before you submit your complaint, gather any supporting documentation you have. The more information we have, the faster we'll be able to process your complaint. 

You don’t need to provide every document on this list. Include the documents that you have easy access to. If we need something else, we'll let you know. Call us at 1-800- 985-3059 if you have any questions.

You can return to your submission and add additional documents later, if needed.

Make a digital copy or take a photo of any of the following documents that apply to your situation:

Provide these documents if possible:

• Your medical bill
• A photo of your health insurance card, if you used insurance
• An explanation of benefits (if you got one)

You might also include, if available and relevant:

• Your good faith estimate (if you got one)
• A notice and consent form, signed and dated (if you got one)
• Any correspondence you had with your provider
• A notice of appeal decision(s)
• Any evidence of coverage (like a summary plan or membership booklet)

You'll be prompted to upload your documents when you fill out the complaint form online.

What happens next

Write down your confirmation number.

If you provided your email address, you’ll get an email from noreply_nosurpriseshelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov. 

Keep this email for your records.

We'll review your complaint or question and any documents you submitted. If we need more information, we'll get in touch within 60 days using your preferred contact method.

Call the No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059 to check on the status of your complaint or if you have any questions. Be sure to reference your confirmation number.

You can return to your submission to add additional documents. To do this, go to your existing complaint and enter your confirmation number.