FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 1, 2025
Consumer advocates praise Senate approval of bill to close surprise billing loophole for ambulances
DENVER – The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative celebrated a victory for Colorado consumers as the state Senate unanimously passed House Bill 25-1088 today, sending it to the Governor’s desk for signature. This bill affects all patients with state-regulated health insurance plans, protecting them from surprise bills for ambulance services while still reimbursing ambulance providers at a reasonable rate.
Despite federal and state laws addressing surprise out-of-network medical billing, public ground ambulances, interfacility transfers, and non-emergency ambulance rides were left out of those laws. This legislation closes that loophole that left patients vulnerable to outrageous and unexpected charges for out-of-network ambulance services.
A recent study found that more than half of ground ambulance rides result in surprise bills, with patients paying an average of $435 out-of-pocket, more than three times the cost of in-network rides. Patients are often left with surprise out-of-pocket bills that are much higher: a Denver resident was saddled with a $1,500 bill after a health emergency in 2023. In Colorado, out-of-network ambulance charges forced consumers to shoulder nearly $16 million in costs in 2022.
“This loophole left patients vulnerable at their most desperate moments,” said Priya Telang, Communications Manager for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “No one is checking to see if an ambulance is in-network during a health crisis. These surprise ambulance bills – usually hundreds of dollars but often much more – can push patients into medical debt and cause stress when patients should be focused on their health. No one should hesitate to call 911 because they’re worried about the cost, and no one should be hit with a huge bill simply because of a facility transfer their doctor ordered. We urge the Governor to protect patients from surprise billing and sign this bill into law.”
Ground ambulances are a vital, often life-saving part of our health care system. Yet, they also face unsustainable funding gaps, with only 39 percent of their costs covered by billing revenue, relying on taxpayer funding or volunteer labor to make up for the gap. Rural ambulance services, in particular, are struggling to survive.
This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. McCormick, Rep. Brown, Sen. Baisley, and Sen. Mullica, passed the House floor unanimously last week and is supported by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) groups.