Senate Passes Bill To Help Rural Ambulance Services
A bill that proponents believe will help maintain financially strapped ambulance services in rural Alabama counties remain in business has been approved by the senate. But Senate Bill 269, which would increase reimbursement rates paid to ambulance services by insurance companies, has some predictable opposition - the insurance companies and big business.
They claim the bill will increase premiums paid by policyholders. They also maintain there are too many bills establishing costly healthcare mandates this session.
Ambulance companies told a senate committee that without the bill, more ambulance services will be reduced or totally lost in rural counties.
The legislation sponsored by Greensboro Senator Bobby Singleton (D-24) would require health insurers to reimburse ambulance providers a set percentage of the federal Medicare rate and establish coverage when EMS provides care without transporting a patient to a hospital, known as "treat in place". The bill also would prohibit “balance billing." where ambulance providers could not charge an individual more than the in-network cost-sharing amount under an insurance contract.
During floor debate, Sen. Singlton told lawmakers ambulance services are a vital part of health care and noted that several insurers don’t want to have to provide the coverage.
Pickens County recently experienced an ambulance crisis because the rural hospital in Carrollton closed, increasing the length and cost of response and transport times.
Singleton's bill passed the upper chamber 26-2. It must now be justified with a similar bill in the house before it can be sent to Gov. Ivey for her signature. The house bill exempts the financially stressed state’s employee and educator health insurance programs from the mandate, but Singlton's bill includes them.
The governor has made saving rural healthcare a significant part of her legislative agenda this year.
However, insurers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, ALFA and the business council are expected to lobby hard to defeat the legislation in the lower chamber.
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