TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL AS

QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE COST IS

HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

EVEN WITH INSURANCE?

>> WHEN CONGRESS PASSED THE NO

SURPRISES ACT LAST YEAR, IT GOT

OVER UNEXPECTED BILLING, BUT THE

LEGISLATION LEFT OUT GROUND

AMBULANCE RISE.

ROUGHLY 3 MILLION PEOPLE RIDING

AMBULANCES BUT UP TO 85% ARE

OUT-OF-NETWORK.

THAT MEANS MANY AMERICANS BEING

SLAPPED WITH SURPRISE BILLS.

JOINING ME NOW IS THE DIGITAL

HEALTH REPORTER.

HE SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE

BEEN AFFECTED INCLUDING A

CALIFORNIA MOM.

>> CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF THE

WORST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHEN

IT COMES TO OUT-OF-NETWORK THE

LINK.

ONE NEW MOM WHO I TALKED TO HAD

A SON WHO DEVELOPED PROBLEMS

BREATHING.

IT IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

AFTER EVERYTHING KICKING INTO

PLACE.

AND DYLAN'S COMPANY -- THE

AMBULANCE COMPANY IS SAYING THEY

OWED MONEY.

THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE NOT

TALKING TO EACH OTHER, SPENDING

THE PARENTAL LEAVE IN TRYING TO

TAKE CARE OF THE YOUNGEST TRIAL

SO SHE IS NOT LEFT WITH

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

ULTIMATELY, AFTER MONTHS ON THE

PHONE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY

LEFT HER ON THE HOOK SO SHE HAD

TO CUT SHORT HER PARENTAL LEAVE

TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT SO SHE WAS

NOT LOOKING FOR AND HAD NO REAL

CHANCES ANTICIPATING.

>> WHY WERE AMBULANCES NOT

INCLUDED?

>> THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS

THE ACT TACKLED, ESPECIALLY

OUT-OF-NETWORK BILLING, BUT IT

WAS A BRIDGE TOO FAR.

IN LARGE PART BECAUSE IT IS A

COMPLEX SYSTEM AND IT TOOK US

DECADES TO GET HERE.

>> THERE IS OFTEN NO WAY TO

CALCULATE HOW MUCH AN AMBULANCE

MIGHT COST.

>> IN SOME PLACES YOU MIGHT HAVE

FIRE DEPARTMENTS, PRIVATE EQUITY

FIRMS, HOSPITALS.

STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, HEALTH

INSURANCE, IN AND OUT NETWORKS,

SO ALL OF THOSE COMPLICATIONS

MAKE IT TO WHERE NO REASONABLE

PERSON CAN ANTICIPATE SOME OF

THESE COSTS.

>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW

MILLIONS OF AMERICANS LIVE IN

AMBULANCE DESERTS.

HOW IS THIS AFFECTING THIS

PROBLEM?

>> THEY HAD INSURANCE.

THAT IS PART OF THE REASONS WHY

THAT IMPLIES THERE ARE FEWER

CHOICES.

>> THERE ARE 13 STATES THAT HAVE

PROTECTIONS AGAINST PATIENTS

BEING SLAPPED WITH THESE

EMERGENCY AMBULANCE BILLS, BUT

ON THE BROADER LEVEL, WHAT

PROTECTIONS ARE THEY LOOKING

INTO?

>> THE FRANKENSTEIN SYSTEM OF

AMBULATORY CARE AND WHAT CAN BE

DONE TO FIX IT.

SEVERAL STATES HAVE TAKEN

INITIATIVE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS,

BUT HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE THOSE

SOLUTIONS?

RIGHT NOW, THE COMMUNITY IS

GATHERING ALL KINDS OF TESTIMONY

TO PUT TOGETHER A NUMBER OF

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SHARE WITH

LAWMAKERS IN CONGRESS AND LOCAL

LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO TRY AND

SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

HOW RECEPTIVE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> TO READ ALL OF THE REPORTING,

VISIT OU