Legislation that would help volunteer ambulance companies better recoup fees for their services was unanimously endorsed today by the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, said Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks), sponsor of the proposal.
House Bill 867 changes the reimbursement structure between ambulance corps and insurance companies. Instead of an insurance company reimbursing the individual who received the ambulance corps’ services, payment would go directly to the ambulance unit.
In some cases, patients who have used a volunteer ambulance service have pocketed the insurance reimbursement, rather than forwarding the check to the service provider, or have called the ambulance for non-emergency reasons.
“My intent with this legislation is to ensure that volunteer ambulance companies can better recoup payment for the services they have rendered,” said O’Neill, who noted that a local ambulance company closed its doors within the past couple of years because of loss of funding. “Even though this legislation will not guarantee 100 percent payment for all of the services rendered by volunteer ambulance companies, being able to better recoup more insurance payments through direct means will help keep their doors open.”
Volunteer ambulance units that benefit from the direct payment would need to be part of a health care network and the individual using the services would need to sign a waiver indicating that insurance payments should be made directly to the volunteer ambulance company.
The subject was the focus of a public hearing by the committee in 2006 and passed out of the committee last session. This term’s legislation is based on a similar law in New Jersey.
“This proposal seeks to adequately compensate volunteer ambulance companies for their services, and helps keep them financially stable so they can continue to provide their vital service to our communities,” O’Neill said.
House Bill 867 now goes to the full House for its consideration.
Rep. Bernie O’Neill
29th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(215) 441-2624
(717) 705-7170
Contact: Jennifer Algoe Keaton
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 705-2094