Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum recently signed legislation addressing air ambulance billing.
Here are three things to know.
1. Senate Bill 2231 was signed into law last week. The law requires hospitals to notify non-emergent patients which air ambulance providers are in their health insurance network, according to a news release.
2. The new law aims to address unexpected medical bills, which patients may receive if an air ambulance provider does not have a contract with their health plan.
"It's important to know that these lifesaving flights often come with life-altering bills, and what is most frustrating to the [state] insurance department is that many of the complaints we receive are from people who have insurance, have been responsible, and through no fault of their own, are facing insurmountable balance bills from an air ambulance company," North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread said in the release. "These consumers did not have the option or ability to choose their provider, and now because of the choices made by someone else, are left facing bankruptcy."
3. The state insurance department received 28 complaints totaling nearly $2 million in charges for air ambulance services from 2013 through January 2017, according to the release. The release notes this does not include complaints made directly to insurers.
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