For several weeks, the Montana Senate has been dealing with a bill that would prevent air ambulance patients from getting charged excessively. Earlier this month, a special committee gave the bill a go-ahead and sent it to the full Senate for approval. On Friday February 24, the Senate finally passed the bill that would prevent huge air ambulance transport costs for patients.
Unanimous Approval of Bill
Before the Senate went on its mid-session break, they voted 50-0 to have the bill passed on February 24. The bill will now go to the House for consideration. This unanimous vote from Senate members proves how effective the testimony from former air ambulance patients affected their decision. In the past weeks, former air ambulance patients had given their testimonies about receiving tens of thousands of dollars in air ambulance bills because they used a provider that wasn’t within their insurance network.
More Measures to Control Air Ambulance Transport Billing
With the new bill, air ambulance providers will have to negotiate the cost with insurance companies instead of obliging patients to pay for the entire cost. The bill, which was introduced by Senator Gordon Vance, will also prevent overcharging of air ambulance transport in several more ways. For instance, if patients had to make a payment for the transport, they would only be responsible for deductibles and co-payments.
The Montana Senate also took other measures to prevent excessive air ambulance costs and incessant bill collection for patients. The new bill also prohibits air ambulance providers from communicating with credit agencies when a patient has failed to pay a bill. All of these measures should have a significant impact on residents of Montana who are in need of emergency medical transportation by an air ambulance.
