Bill > HB1657

This bill, the "MS Triage, Treat and Transport to Alternative Destination Act," expands coverage for ambulance services under health benefit plans, which are insurance policies that provide medical coverage. Starting July 1, 2026, these plans must cover ambulance services that treat or assess a patient in their location, potentially using telemedicine (remote medical care via technology), or that triage and transport a patient to an "alternative destination" such as an urgent care center, physician's office, or behavioral health facility, rather than solely to a hospital. The bill also revises how out-of-network ambulance providers are reimbursed, requiring the Department of Insurance to publish contracted rates and setting the minimum reimbursement at the lesser of 200% of Medicare rates or the provider's billed charges, with specific requirements for how billed charges are documented on an Explanation of Benefits (EOB), which is a statement detailing what medical treatments and how much was paid to healthcare providers. Furthermore, ambulance service providers must be paid according to the assignment of benefits, meaning they can be paid directly by the insurance company, and the Commissioner of Insurance is tasked with enforcing these provisions.

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https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB1657.xml