Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee backs compromise to curb ambulance balance billing, orders two-year cost study
Summary
The subcommittee and full committee moved SB 245 as amended to prohibit surprise ambulance balance billing, set an interim reimbursement floor tied to Medicare, require prompt insurer payment and commission a two-year independent cost study to measure ambulance operating costs.
The House Health Insurance subcommittee and then the full committee approved an amended version of Senate Bill 245 aimed at eliminating surprise balance billing for ambulance transports and stabilizing payment to ambulance providers.
The bill, advanced by Representative Miles and seconded by Representative Spear, bars balance billing for emergency ambulance transports and sets a minimum reimbursement rule when no locally approved rate exists: insurers must pay at least 3.25 times the Medicare rate for the transport. The measure removes prior authorization for emergency dispatches, establishes a presumption of medical necessity for services dispatched by protocol, and requires insurers to process payments promptly.
Supporters said the bill…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
