Bill Would Help Patients Slapped with Big Air Ambulance Bills

SEELEY LAKE - Montanans who paid exorbitant costs for life flight services not covered by insurance testified at the Montana Legislature last week for a bill that would eliminate these costs.

Senate Bill 44 would remove the burden of cost for patients using out-of-network air ambulance services and would instead require that insurance companies and out-of-network air companies come to a voluntary agreement on the charges, or else make a determination through litigation. The Airline Deregulation Act, which currently covers air ambulances, does not allow state governments to regulate airline far...