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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 20, 2024 12:55 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Joe Ciresi |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Preventing Confusion in EMS Insurance Payments |
| When someone gets an unexpected check in the mail for hundreds or thousands of dollars, chances are they’ll either be happy or confused. But when they don’t realize that check from their insurance company was intended to pay for the ambulance ride they took, it can also lead to delayed or missed payments to the EMS provider, collections efforts, or even theft charges. EMS providers across the state have highlighted a growing problem of patients keeping the insurance checks they’re getting for the EMS calls that took them to the hospital. Those checks add up, resulting in EMS providers losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in much-needed revenue and forcing them to divert resources to trying to collect that money. At a time when our EMS agencies are already struggling with funding, this is the last thing they need. We owe it to both our patients and EMS providers to remove the confusion and ensure clarity from the beginning. That is why I am introducing legislation that would require a very noticeable, red-colored letter to be included with any insurance reimbursement checks for EMS services sent directly to the patient. That letter would clearly explain the purpose of the check and outline the patient’s responsibilities, so that they don’t keep or spend it by mistake. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to prevent any more patients from being confused by an unexplained insurance check in the mail, and to redirect more of these payments to the EMS agencies who need them to serve our communities. |
Introduced as HB2618
Memo Updated: September 20, 2024 12:56 PM