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DENVER, CO – The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed legislation to protect patients from surprise ambulance billing. HB25-1088, sponsored by Representatives Karen McCormick and Kyle Brown, would shield Colorado patients by expanding existing consumer protections to public ambulance services.
“No one should hesitate dialing 9-1-1 during an emergency because they’re concerned about cost,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “This bill aims to extend surprise billing protections to public ambulance service so Coloradans can receive the emergency services they need. Our bill would establish clear reimbursement rates and ensure that when patients require an ambulance, they aren’t later charged unreasonable and often unaffordable bill.”
“The last thing on someone’s mind when calling an ambulance during an emergency should be cost – yet many patients still receive expensive, surprise bills from ambulance services,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “This important legislation extends consumer protections to cover surprise billing from public ambulance services. Keeping our communities safe and healthy is a top priority, and this legislation makes sure Colorado patients won’t face surprise ambulance bills that they cannot afford.”
HB25-1088, passed committee by a vote of 12-1. This bill would protect patients from surprise, and typically expensive, ambulance billing. Colorado’s existing billing protections only include private ambulance services. HB25-1088 builds upon previous bipartisan legislation to protect patients from surprise ambulance billing by extending protections to public ambulance services.
Additionally, this bill would put key federal Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (GAPB) recommendations in place, such as:
Prohibiting all ambulance agencies from balance billing patients for both emergency and non-emergency transports.
Establishing reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out of network.
Requiring carriers to pay the rates adopted by governing political subdivisions, assuming those rates meet conditions designed to improve transparency and limit costs.
Creating a public-facing website of rates adopted by political subdivisions.
Ensuring ambulance agencies are paid directly after a transport.
During an emergency, patients cannot choose who responds to their 9-1-1 call and more than 75-percent of ambulance agencies in Colorado are public departments, not covered by current law. The bill establishes clear reimbursement rates to ensure patient access and improves ambulance sustainability in all Colorado communities.