Lower Health Care Costs Act (S.1895) Member Alert
AAMS Members,
AAMS needs our members to engage your Senators and Members of Congress in defense of the air medical services you provide. Yesterday, Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., introduced the Lower Health Care Costs Act (S.1895) legislation to prevent surprise medical bills. Section 105 of the “Lower Health Care Costs Act” would allow all insurers to pay only the “median in-network” rate to all air ambulance providers. This will do irreparable harm to the ability of emergency air medical services to provide life-saving care to critically-ill and injured patients.
While AAMS fully supports efforts to prevent insured patients from receiving balance bills caused by insurers who refuse to pay for the emergency healthcare those patients receive, this bill allows those insurers to continue paying ever lower rates while continuing to question the emergency medical decisions of doctors and first responders. It also leaves no recourse against some insurers who refuse to negotiate in-network agreements with air ambulance providers.
At a time when rural hospitals are closing, it is critical to maintain, or even to increase access to emergency transportation for rural and underserved Americans. Enacting the “Lower Health Care Costs Act” would instead exacerbate this rural health care crisis and greatly limit access to life-saving trauma care.
The Association of Air Medical Services is proud to advocate on behalf of this industry. We need your help by reaching out to your Members of Congress and ask them to support emergency medical care, the ability of physicians and first-responders to choose what is right for patients, and protect access to emergency air ambulance services by opposing this legislation.
AAMS has joined with the Save Our Air Medical Resources (SOAR) campaign to provide the following link that will allow you to send a message to your members of Congress. We ask that you act quickly and help us stop this legislation designed to favor insurers at the expense of the life-saving services you provide.
Best,
Rick Sherlock’s Signature
Richard Sherlock
President and CEO
Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS)
Https://AAMS.ORG
Facebook: @AAMSAAMS
About Life Flight Network
Life Flight Network, a not-for-profit air medical service, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) and the National Accreditation Alliance of Medical Transport Applications (NAAMTA). Life Flight Network has administrative offices in Aurora, Oregon, and is owned by a consortium of Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, and Providence Health System. Aviation services provided by: Life Flight Network operates under its own FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate. Boise-based fixed-wing services are provided by Jackson Jet Center, Inc. For more information about Life Flight Network or to become a member, visit www.lifeflight.org.
