A chief nursing officer walks down a hallway in the recently reopened emergency room at a hospital in Houma, La., on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021. Patients worried about getting smacked with an unexpected bill after emergency care gained a layer of protection in January 2022 from a new federal law. The No Surprises Act prevents doctors or hospitals in many situations from billing insured patients higher rates because the care providers are not in their insurer’s coverage network. (John Locher/AP)
