Over several years, congressional hearings and the continued rise in the cost of healthcare and patient copays contributed to a heightened awareness of the ill effects of surprise medical bills. At the same time, organizations like AARP, local governments and the media were sharing guidance for patients on how to protect themselves from these bills. National media, such as ProPublica and Kaiser Health News, also were regularly reporting on the negative impact surprise medical bills could have on patients, and consumers were sharing their surprise medical billing stories with the media and government officials, asking for relief.