Senate Bill 5986, enacted during the 2024 legislative session, adds ground ambulance services to the services subject to the balance billing prohibitions and dispute resolution process under the state’s Balance Billing Protection Act (BBPA) effective January 1, 2025. The new provisions apply to coverage subject to the BBPA and do not apply under the federal No Surprises Act.
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) has updated the BBPA’s standard notice of consumer rights to reflect the changes. Effective January 1, 2025, medical providers, facilities, ground ambulance service organizations, and behavioral health emergency service providers should post the updated form on their website and use it for required notices under WAC 284-43B-050. The bill also established minimum allowed amounts to be paid by carriers for out-of-network ground ambulance services.
OIC is also hosting a webinar for consumers and providers on October 22, 2024, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The webinar provides background and Q&A on the BBPA for ground ambulance transports. Please register in advance to attend the webinar, which will also be recorded and posted to the OIC website. More information about the changes is here. (Andrew Busz, andrewb@wsha.org).
