SENATE, No. 4004

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 26, 2023

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  HOLLY T. SCHEPISI

District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits hospital from billing patient for inter-hospital medical transport services under certain circumstances.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning hospital billing practices and supplementing P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  In the event that a hospital provides medical transport services to a patient to or from another hospital using the hospital’s own first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad or a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad under contract with the hospital to provide medical transportation services, and the hospital reasonably determines that no alternative transport options, including transport using a private vehicle, are clinically appropriate for the patient, the hospital shall be prohibited from billing the patient for the inter-hospital medical transport services provided.

     b.    Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a hospital from billing a patient’s health benefits plan for any medical transport services provided.

     c.     (1)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a nonvolunteer first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, including a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad operated by or under contact with a hospital to provide medical transport services, from billing a patient or the patient’s health benefits plan, as appropriate, for medical transport directly to the nearest appropriate hospital following dispatch of the squad in response to a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call. 

     (2)   For the purposes of paragraph (1) of this subsection, “nearest appropriate hospital” means the hospital in closest proximity to the site of a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call that is:

     (a)   capable of providing the level of care appropriate to the patient’s treatment needs; and

     (b)   currently receiving patients.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill prohibits hospitals from billing patients for inter-hospital medical transport services if the patient is afforded no other transport options.

     Specifically, if a hospital provides medical transport services to a patient to or from another hospital using the hospital’s own first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad or a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad under contract with the hospital, and the hospital reasonably determines that no alternative transport options, including transport using a private vehicle, are clinically appropriate for the patient, the hospital will be prohibited from billing the patient for the inter-hospital medical transport services. 

     Nothing in the bill will prohibit a hospital from billing a patient’s health benefits plan for any medical transport services provided.  Additionally, nothing in the bill will prohibit a nonvolunteer first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, including a first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad operated by or under contact with a hospital, from billing a patient or the patient’s health benefits plan for medical transport directly to the nearest appropriate hospital following dispatch of the squad in response to a 9-1-1 emergency dispatch call.