Oregon committee hears broad support and insurer concern over bill banning surprise ground ambulance bills

Representative Rob Nose, chairing the committee, opened public testimony on House Bill 3,243, saying the bill would “take patients out of the middle by banning balance billing and instead setting a reasonable reimbursement rate that insurers will have to pay to these providers, the ambulance services.”

Supporters — including the Oregon State Ambulance Association, municipal ambulance providers and statewide public-safety groups — told the committee HB 3,243 would protect patients who have no choice about which ambulance responds to a 911 call. Sabrina Riggs of the Oregon State Ambulance Association said Oregon’s earlier balance-billing laws and the federal No Surprises Act left a gap for ground ambulance services and that local governments already set area rates through a public process. “Local rates reflect local costs…