Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, August 24, 2015

Maryland Insurance Administration investigating $20,000-$40,000 air ambulance bills

The Maryland Insurance Administration is investigating a string of consumer complaints about air ambulance bills in excess of $20,000 that the state insurance commissioner described as exorbitant.

These complaints represent a fraction of the roughly 3,700 trips air ambulances make a year. But the size of the bills a few patients have received — between $20,000 and $40,000 — has caught the attention of Maryland Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr. He has called a Sept. 18 public meeting with hospitals, insurers and other stakeholders to discuss the issue and possible ways to resolve it.

“We will get involved based on the severity or based on the frequency,” Redmer said. “With this specific issue the severity is enough that the frequency is almost irrelevant.”

More

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

My child was transported
From Salisbury to wilmington,de And my bill was $40,933.75 ... My private insurance covered $8900.00...I did not request this service ... It was the dr at prmc that determined my child was in need of immediate care now I'm stuck in an appeal battle between the insurance company and the helicopter company and have a $32,000 balance remaining ...I will have to file for bankruptcy if they determine that I am responsible for the balance

Anonymous said...

I got one of those bills. I forget now if it was 38k or 78k but regardless it was way too much for a half hour flight. PRMC screwed up and had to call them because they couldn't fix what they f'ed up, so let them pay it.

Anonymous said...

Mine was $38,000 from PRMC to Shock Trauma

Anonymous said...

Can expect anything from the Obama State Police...

Anonymous said...

our ambulance bill is 500 bucks for 1/2 mile to hospital.

Anonymous said...

These bills for service are way out of line. The fuel to fly from PRMC to Balt. Can't be more then a 40 min flight. Cost of jet fuel avg $4.25-$4.75 gal. Helicopter uses 10-15 gal. Per hour. You telle the pilots are making $25.000 a hour. Way out of line. My son was flown by MSP from PRMC to Shock Trauma. Never receved a bill from them. In fact with myself being in the Army helped. They let me fly with them. Something they don't like to do. Because if you get up there and freak out then there are two medical emergency's