Study that quantifies increasing air ambulance charges may bolster Senate bill that cracks down on surprise medical bills - Entrepreneur Generations

In 2016, nationwide median charges for air ambulance services--which are used disproportionately in rural areas--were 4.1 to 9.5 times what Medicare paid for the same services, according to a recently published study. The median charge disparity is much higher than for ground ambulance services or physician services. "In addition, median charges for air ambulance services compared to Medicare rates soared by 46% to 61% from 2012 to 2016. For Medicare patients, the median charge per trip increased from $24,000 to $39,000," Harris Meyer reports for Modern Healthcare.

Since many air ambulance providers are not in insurance networks, patients are often stuck with unexpected "balance bills" for thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars for services they may have believed were in-network. The new study may bolster a new Senate bill that would crack down on such surprise bills. "Last month, the Senate health committee shocked the air ambulance industry, which is made up heavily of private equity-owned companies, by including a balance-billing ban for air ambulance services in its broader legislation to regulate surprise out-of-network billing," Meyer reports.

Because of a federal law that governs air carriers, courts have blocked states from regulating air ambulances. So experts say only the federal government can address the problem, Meyer reports.

"The Association of Air Medical Services, the industry's lobbying group, blamed inadequate Medicare and Medicaid payment rates for the out-of-network billing controversy," Meyer reports. "It said air ambulance services are essential for Americans, particularly in rural areas, and that the federal government needs to conduct a study to develop rates that cover actual costs in order to preserve these services."

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2NsVWdx Study that quantifies increasing air ambulance charges may bolster Senate bill that cracks down on surprise medical bills - Entrepreneur Generations

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