Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ems Billing Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EMS providers and associations back SB 916 to require transparent ambulance billing
Summary
Supporters including the Texas Ambulance Association, local fire‑EMS chiefs and county EMS leaders told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee SB 916 would protect consumers by requiring clear ambulance billing rates and allowing political subdivisions to adjust rates annually. The committee closed testimony and left the bill pending.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee received public testimony on Senate Bill 916, a consumer-protection measure that would require transparency in emergency medical services (EMS) billing and authorize political subdivisions to set predictable annual pricing adjustments tied to a Medicare ambulance inflation factor.
Rachel Harak Singh, representing the Texas Ambulance Association, testified the bill is “a consumer protection bill” that requires transparency in EMS billing rates and authorizes the Department of Health Services to enforce proper disclosure of rates.
Josh Jacobs, assistant fire chief with Burleson Fire EMS, said his city already publishes ambulance rates and supports SB 916 because patients frequently face unexpected out-of-network bills. “SB 916 addresses this by fostering a clear, more predictable EMS billing system, easing the financial and emotional burden on patients after receiving care,” Jacobs told the committee.
Michael Furr, chief of EMS for Lavaca and Colorado County and president‑elect of the Texas EMS Alliance, said SB 916 would continue protections first included in SB 2476 and would preserve safeguards for ambulance patients and the agencies that serve them. “As first responders, we see how billing uncertainty can overshadow the life‑saving care that we provide,” Furr said.
Sheila Hemphill of Texas Right to Know offered testimony reflecting citizen concerns about how EMS costs and coverage affect communities and said she hoped SB 916 would help resolve those local issues.
The committee closed public testimony on SB 916 and left the bill pending for further consideration; no committee vote occurred during the hearing.
Ending: Committee staff closed the record and marked SB 916 pending further committee action.
