What States Can Do to Address Out-of-Network Air Ambulance Bills

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Medical Economics
• Consumer Protection Law

Background:

• Out-of-network air ambulance billing represents a significant source of surprise medical bills.
• These unexpected costs are financially devastating for patients.
• Existing legal frameworks, particularly the Airline Deregulation Act, complicate state-level regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the challenges posed by out-of-network air ambulance billing.
• To analyze the impact of the Airline Deregulation Act on state regulatory efforts.
• To explore potential state-level solutions for air ambulance billing abuses in the absence of federal action.

Main Methods:

• Legal analysis of court interpretations of the Airline Deregulation Act.
• Review of state legislative and regulatory approaches to surprise medical billing.
• Examination of case law concerning preemption and air ambulance services.

Main Results:

• Courts have broadly preempted state regulations on air ambulance billing under the Airline Deregulation Act.
• Federal legislative action is considered necessary for a comprehensive solution.
• States are experimenting with innovative regulatory strategies to mitigate billing abuses.

Conclusions:

• The Airline Deregulation Act poses a substantial barrier to state regulation of air ambulance billing.
• Federal intervention is crucial to address the issue of surprise medical bills from air ambulances.
• State-level innovations may offer partial protections while awaiting federal solutions.