Save Our Air Medical Resources (SOAR), a national campaign dedicated to preserving access to emergency air medical services for Americans across the country, joined a chorus of health care providers in opposing a new rule on surprise medical billing.
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management issued an interim final rule on Thursday to implement the No Surprises Act. The intent of the legislation was to take patients out of the middle of billing disputes, leaving it to providers and insurers to negotiate. SOAR has long maintained that the No Surprises Act represents a major step forward in patient protection. Unfortunately, the Administration’s attempt to provide implementation guidance is causing serious concern for providers across the U.S.
“Providers of all stripes are deeply concerned that the proposed rule favors health insurance companies over patients and will negatively impact those seeking emergency medical care,” said Christina Kanmaz, spokesperson for SOAR. “If changes are not made to this rule, patient care will be reduced significantly and emergency air medical bases will face closure, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where access to health care is already a challenge.”
Without a fair and equitable Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) rulemaking process, air medical providers face financial pressure and could be forced to reduce services or shut down bases, threatening emergency air medical access for patients. This is especially risky in rural areas where access to hospitals and medical care is already limited.
SOAR joins the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Anesthesiologists, College of American Pathologists, American College of Radiology, Federation of American Hospitals, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons Advocacy Council in opposing this rule.