Sponsored by:
Senator HOLLY T. SCHEPISI
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits hospital from billing patient for inter-hospital medical transport services under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning hospital billing practices and supplementing P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In the event that a hospital provides medical transport services to a patient to or from another hospital using the hospitals own first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad or a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad under contract with the hospital to provide medical transportation services, and the hospital reasonably determines that no alternative transport options, including transport using a private vehicle, are clinically appropriate for the patient, the hospital shall be prohibited from billing the patient for the inter-hospital medical transport services provided.
b. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a hospital from billing a patients health benefits plan for any medical transport services provided.
c. (1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a nonvolunteer first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, including a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad operated by or under contact with a hospital to provide medical transport services, from billing a patient or the patients health benefits plan, as appropriate, for medical transport directly to the nearest appropriate hospital following dispatch of the squad in response to a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) of this subsection, nearest appropriate hospital means the hospital in closest proximity to the site of a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call that is:
(a) capable of providing the level of care appropriate to the patients treatment needs; and
(b) currently receiving patients.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits hospitals from billing patients for inter-hospital medical transport services if the patient is afforded no other transport options.
Specifically, if a hospital provides medical transport services to a patient to or from another hospital using the hospitals own first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad or a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad under contract with the hospital, and the hospital reasonably determines that no alternative transport options, including transport using a private vehicle, are clinically appropriate for the patient, the hospital will be prohibited from billing the patient for the inter-hospital medical transport services.
Nothing in the bill will prohibit a hospital from billing a patients health benefits plan for any medical transport services provided. Additionally, nothing in the bill will prohibit a nonvolunteer first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, including a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad operated by or under contact with a hospital, from billing a patient or the patients health benefits plan for medical transport directly to the nearest appropriate hospital following dispatch of the squad in response to a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call.