The “Direct Pay Bill,” now awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision, is causing a stir among New York’s health insurers and EMS agencies.
The bill mandates immediate reimbursement from health insurers to ambulance providers for patients with coverage outside the insurers’ network.
Currently, the majority of EMS agencies in Monroe County fall under this out-of-network category.
A significant concern is that these agencies often do not receive payments made to patients by insurers promptly or sometimes not at all.
If passed, the bill, which aims to regulate cost control for health insurers billing out-of-network patients, will take effect in January 2025.
The healthcare sector, however, is pushing back. Many argue that this measure aims to keep future rates low for their patients.
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