By Kerri Hatt
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A couple is advocating for the Texas legislature to fix a surprise medical billing loophole during its next session.
After their newborn daughter was transported by ambulance to the hospital after she stopped breathing, the Taylor family received a bill for about $1,500, KBTX reported.
Cornelius Taylor told KBTX as an employee of a local school district, he has “pretty good insurance,” so the bill came as a surprise.
When he contacted the EMS service, Taylor was told most paramedic services are considered out of network, a loophole to Texas Senate Bill 1264, which protects patients from surprise medical bills in emergency care situations.
During the 2021 legislative session, SB 999, banning surprise bills for ground ambulance services, passed the senate, but was never voted on by the house.
“I want to see Senate Bill 1264 include ambulances with patient protection from surprise medical billing,” Taylor told KBTX.