Air ambulance Chapter 11s show dispute program must resume

The No Surprises Act was supposed to allow fair payments to out-of-network air ambulance providers while shielding patients from unexpected medical bills for these life-saving transports.

However, less than two years since the act went into effect, the independent dispute resolution program has been shut down to new air ambulance claims for an indefinite amount of time, leaving no way to challenge low payments from insurers and health plans.

As the shutdown nears its third month, national air ambulance provider Air Methods Corp. has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, citing the No Surprises Act as a major contributor to its financial troubles. Its filing demonstrates the urgent need to reopen the IDR program for air ambulances.

Read the full Law360 article, "Air ambulance Ch. 11s show dispute program must resume."