Closing the ‘ambulance gap’: How Colorado and U.S. lawmakers hope to end surprise medical bills

DENVER — If you ever have to call 911 and take an ambulance, the last thing you want to worry about is the cost. That’s why Colorado lawmakers and the U.S. Congress are taking steps to stop surprise ambulance bills.

The No Surprises Act, a federal law passed two years ago, was supposed to end surprise medical bills. But there was a loophole: ground ambulances weren’t included. As a result, if you ride in an ambulance, you may still get hit with surprise bills through a process known as “balance billing.”

While in many cases, balance billing is illegal in Colorado and across the country, there are some gaps in the protections. When an ambulance provider charges more than your health insurance coverage, you’re left to pay the difference.

“It’s making people really fearful to call an ambulance when they think they might need it because they’re worried about getting hit by an unexpected bill that they cannot afford,” said Adam Fox, who directs the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.

Fox explained that although “people have zero control over what ambulance picks them up” and “whether it’s part of their insurance network,” the existing gap in protections means costs fall on them.

“We see consumers get hit, oftentimes, with bills that are in the $1,000 to $2,500 range that they’re not expecting,” he said.

Read the rest of this article and watch the accompanying video on Denver7.com