SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2018 SESSION

  • | print version

SB 663 Air medical transportation; informed decision.

Introduced by: Jeremy S. McPike | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Air medical transportation; informed decision. Requires each hospital to establish a protocol requiring that, before a health care provider arranges for air medical transportation services for a patient who does not have an emergency medical condition, the hospital provide the patient or his authorized representative with written or electronic notice that the patient (i) may have a choice of transportation by an air medical transportation provider or medically appropriate ground transportation by an emergency medical services provider and (ii) will be responsible for charges incurred for such transportation in the event that the provider is not a contracted network provider of the patient's health insurance carrier or such charges are not otherwise covered in full or in part by the patient's health insurance plan. The provisions of such requirement become effective on March 1, 2019. The bill directs the Office of Emergency Medical Services to develop a mechanism no later than January 1, 2019, to disclose to a patient, prior to services provided by an out-of-network air transport provider, a good faith estimate of the range of typical charges for out-of-network air transport services provided in that geographic area.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Health benefit plan networks; air ambulance providers; duties of health care providers. Requires a health care provider, before arranging for air ambulance services for an individual known to be covered under a health benefit plan, to provide the covered person or his authorized representative a written disclosure and obtain the covered person's or his representative's signature on the disclosure document. The disclosure includes statements that (i) the air ambulance provider may be an out-of-network provider; (ii) if so, the air ambulance provider has not agreed to hold covered persons harmless from payment of any balance due after receiving any payment from the carrier under the covered person's health benefit plan; (iii) indicate the range of the typical charges for out-of-network air ambulance services for which the covered person may be responsible; and (iv) the covered person or his representative may agree to accept and pay the charges of the air ambulance provider as an out-of-network provider, contact the covered person's carrier for additional assistance, or rely on other rights and remedies that may be available under state or federal law. The disclosure is also required to include a statement that the covered person or the covered person's authorized representative may obtain a list of air ambulance providers from the covered person's carrier that are participating providers and may request that the health care provider arrange for air ambulance providers that are participating providers. The measure also provides that if the health care provider is unable to provide the written disclosure or obtain the signature of the covered person or his authorized representative, the health care provider is required to document the reason therefor.