By EMS1 Staff
BISMARK, N.D. — North Dakota legislators passed a law Tuesday restricting charges by air ambulance services that aren’t participating providers with major insurers.
Grand Forks Herald reported that the provision will take effect on Jan. 1; non-participating air ambulance services will be allowed to charge only the average of participating services. Senate Bill 2231, signed by Gov. Doug Burgum, was a response to patients being hit with high air ambulance bills – averaging over $59,000.
The North Dakota Insurance Department received 28 complaints, totaling $1.66 million from consumers for air ambulance services from 2013 to 2017.
Effective Aug. 1, hospitals will also be required to notify patients whether their air ambulance service is in or out of the patient’s insurance network. The law will also ban subscription fees air ambulance services sold to 13 counties.