HB1385: Emergency medical services.

Legislative Summary

Emergency medical services. Establishes the community cares initiative grant pilot program for the purpose of assisting in the costs of starting or expanding mobile integrated health care programs and mobile crisis teams in Indiana. Establishes the community cares initiative fund. Requires a health plan operator to provide payment to a nonparticipating ambulance service provider for ambulance service provided to a covered individual: (1) at a rate not to exceed the rates set or approved, by contract or ordinance, by the county or municipality in which the ambulance service originated; (2) at the rate of 400% of the published rate for ambulance services established under the Medicare law for the same ambulance service provided in the same geographic area; or (3) according to the nonparticipating ambulance provider's billed charges; whichever is less. Provides that if a health plan operator makes payment to a nonparticipating ambulance service provider in compliance with these requirements: (1) the payment shall be considered payment in full, except for any copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing amounts that the health plan requires the covered individual to pay; and (2) the nonparticipating ambulance service provider is prohibited from billing the covered individual for any additional amount. Provides that the copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing amounts that a covered individual is required to pay in connection with ambulance service provided by a nonparticipating ambulance service provider shall not exceed the copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing amounts that the covered individual would be required to pay if the ambulance service had been provided by a participating ambulance service provider. Requires a health plan operator that receives a clean claim from a nonparticipating ambulance service provider to remit payment to the nonparticipating ambulance service provider not more than 30 days after receiving the clean claim. Provides that if a claim received by a health plan operator for ambulance service provided by a nonparticipating ambulance service provider is not a clean claim, the health plan operator, not more than 30 days after receiving the claim, shall: (1) remit payment; or (2) send a written notice that: (A) acknowledges the date of receipt of the claim; and (B) either explains why the health plan operator is declining to pay the claim or states that additional information is needed for a determination whether to pay the claim. Removes the requirement that a health plan operator negotiate rates and terms with any ambulance service provider willing to become a participating provider, but retains the requirement that the state negotiate rates and terms with any ambulance service provider willing to become a participating provider.