DOT ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AIR AMBULANCE PATIENT BILLING
October 9, 2019
On September 12, 2019, DOT announced the formation of its Air Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee (AAPB Advisory Committee), which is a 13-person group composed of experts from the health insurance, patient advocacy, emergency medicine, and air ambulance sectors. The Committee’s task is to make recommendations to DOT regarding charges and fees for air ambulance services, with the goal of improving consumer understanding of associated costs and insurance options, as well as protecting against balance billing. The Committee will also explore how state and federal authorities can work together to supervise the market.
As a reminder, Congress directed DOT in last fall’s 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act to establish the AAPB Advisory Committee, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, to study air ambulance billing. This mandate followed from a 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled Air Ambulance: Data Collection and Transparency Needed to Enhance DOT Oversight (GAO-17-637), which found that prices for air ambulance services were rising sharply and often being passed through to consumers due to gaps in insurance coverage.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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