McCaskill Legislation Takes Aim at Air Ambulance Bills

A bill introduced in Washington is designed to help cut down on the costs of air ambulance services.  The legislation sponsored by Senator Claire McCaskill would allow states to regulate medical costs associated with the services.  The Air Ambulance Consumer Protection Act clarifies that the Airline Deregulation Act of 1979 does NOT prohibit states from regulating those costs.  That’s a grey area between healthcare and aviation that the Senator says has long benefitted the air ambulance industry.  Her bill also establishes the same type of complaint hotline that currently exists for customers of commercial aviation, creates more transparency in billing, and sets up an advisory committee to establish more recommendations.