The parents of Sebastian Coy had to take an air ambulance to save him last year. The transport was suggested by medical professionals and by the time they became aware of the need for an air ambulance it was already 5 minutes into the journey. Thanks to the timely intervention and transport of Sebastian Coy who was less than 2 years old at the time, today, he is a healthy baby. The parents had to bear a lot of expenses and the anxieties that come along but they were of the opinion that nothing else could go wrong and the worst was behind them. Just then, they were slapped a balance bill by the air ambulance company.
The Insurance had Already Paid the Air Ambulance Company
The health insurance provider of Sebastian Coy had paid almost USD 30,000; however, this amount had not even covered 50% of the costs according to the air ambulance service provider. The parents were asked to pay another USD 35,000. It was a sum that the parents simply did not have. The distance covered by the flight was about 60 miles. The air ambulance company, however, did not take any legal action against the parents for not having paid the balance amount.
The Law Changed Only This Year
The Coy family would have been free of any liability had the incident occurred this year. The No Surprises Bill came into effect on January 1, 2022. However, since the family had availed of the air ambulance service in 2021, it did not apply in their case. At present, any air ambulance bill that remains uncovered by health insurance providers becomes a matter that needs to be sorted between them and the air ambulance service provider. The patient or the family will have nothing to do with it. The two parties are expected to come to an understanding through an arbitration process in case there is a disagreement.
