A new law, the "No Surprises Act," bans most unexpected medical charges from out-of-network providers.

The law will go into effect Jan. 1.

It protects patients when they receive treatment from doctors and hospitals that aren't in their insurance networks, especially those they didn't choose themselves.

Consumers will only be responsible for their in-network cost-sharing in these situations.

Estimates predict that the law will apply to about 10 million "surprise" bills a year.