The proposed bill aims to amend and enact provisions related to ambulance service billing and reimbursement in North Dakota. It introduces new definitions and regulations regarding "balance billing," which refers to the amount an ambulance service provider may charge a covered individual after insurance payments. The bill specifies that reimbursements for ambulance services must be paid directly to the service provider, and if services are rendered by an out-of-network provider, the insurer must pay either 250% of the Medicare reimbursement rate or the provider's billed charges, whichever is lower. Additionally, the bill prohibits ambulance service providers from collecting more than the covered individual's cost-sharing amounts.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing law regarding emergency medical services communication, mandating the use of pagers for communication instead of cell phones or third-party vendors. It also includes a provision for a legislative management study to explore the establishment of a delinquent billing reimbursement grant system for ambulance service providers, with a report due to the legislative assembly. An appropriation of $20,000 is allocated for consulting services related to this study for the 2025-2027 biennium.

Statutes affected:
Adopted by the House Human Services Committee: 23-27-04.8
FIRST ENGROSSMENT: 23-27-04.8
Prepared by the Legislative Council staff for Senator Roers: 23-27-04.8