Don’t stick Floridians with out-of-network ambulance bills

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Florida’s ambulance providers are on the front lines of health care, acting as a critical public service. Yet despite the vital role emergency ground transportation plays, more and more health insurance companies are no longer covering or providing adequate reimbursement for EMS providers for these essential lifesaving services. As a result, many Floridians are being forced to pay for their ambulance trips out of pocket. Floridians can help by telling their state lawmakers to fight to make sure they don’t get stuck paying for their next ambulance ride by filling this gap in the system during the next session.

Recently, the Florida Legislature attempted to remedy this situation with two critical bills (SB 568 and HB 639) that unanimously passed three committees in the Senate and the House, including the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance, the House Committee on Health Innovation and the House Committee on Appropriations. However, these important bills fell victim to a calendar that moves up the legislative session in general election years, and it did not pass.

Nevertheless, on behalf of the ambulance providers across the state, the Florida Ambulance Association applauds the leadership of the bill sponsors — Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor, and Rep. Brad Yeager, R-New Port Richey — for championing the issue and for their service to the citizens of the Tampa Bay area. Fair and accessible emergency ground ambulance services for all Floridians remains an incredibly important subject, and we look forward to resolving it in the next session.

However, with the bill stalling this year, patients are left at the mercy of their insurance companies — often forced to consider monetary implications during an emergency. If someone calls 911 and is transported by an ambulance outside of their health insurance’s network, the patient often ends up footing the bill. The proposed legislation would have made sure that these health insurance companies reimburse ground ambulances themselves for out-of-network costs, saving the patient from worrying about payment during an incredibly stressful time.

While this legislation benefits the public, it also gives crucial support to the ambulance industry and first responders during a difficult time. Ambulance providers continue to face the challenges posed by rising costs of fuel, wages and medical supplies, and the proposed legislation would have given the EMS providers across the state some breathing room to continue to serve Floridians when they need it the most.

Similar bills have passed in Louisiana and Arkansas in recent months, while Texas, California and Colorado have similar statutes. Neither patients nor ambulance providers should be asked to cover the costs for insurance companies, and rectifying this issue will go a long way toward improving our health care system. Under the leadership of Hooper and Yeager, we made some important steps this year, but we’ll need the public’s help to get more results next year. Please use your voice and contact your Florida lawmakers on this important issue (flsenate.gov/senators and myfloridahouse.gov/findyourrepresentative).

Mark Postma is president-elect of the Florida Ambulance Association (FAA) and a resident of Clearwater. Terence Ramotar is the immediate past president of the FAA and a resident of Wesley Chapel.