Massachusetts 194th General Court Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

H1261 — An Act protecting patients from surprise bills related to emergency ambulance service

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  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 194th General Court. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

In plain language

The bill protects patients from unexpected ambulance service bills.

This legislation aims to prevent patients from receiving surprise medical bills for emergency ambulance services. It establishes guidelines to ensure that patients are not charged unexpectedly for these services.

What this means for you
  • Consumers: This means you will have more predictable costs when receiving emergency ambulance services.

Summary

An Act protecting patients from surprise bills related to emergency ambulance service

Bill Text

  • Full text Current

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes protections against surprise billing for emergency ambulance services, limits charges for uninsured individuals, and mandates information sharing between hospitals and ambulance service providers.

  • Chapter 176O

    Section 30. Protection from Surprise Billing for Emergency Ambulance Services. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: ...

    Introduces new regulations to protect patients from unexpected ambulance bills.

  • Chapter 111C

    Section 26. Limitation on Emergency Ambulance Charges for Uninsured Persons. (a) A ground ambulance service provider shall not require an uninsured patient or self-pay patient who receives emergency ambulance service to pay an amount more than the current published rate for ambulance services as established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act for the same service provided in the same geographic area.

    Adds protections for uninsured patients by limiting their payment for emergency ambulance services.

  • Chapter 111C

    Section 26. (b) An ambulance service provider, or an entity acting on its behalf, including a debt buyer or assignee of the debt, shall not use wage garnishments, liens on primary residences, report adverse information to a consumer credit reporting agency, or commence civil action against the individual as a means of collecting unpaid bills for emergency ambulance services.

    Prohibits aggressive collection practices against individuals who do not pay for emergency ambulance services.

  • Chapter 111

    Section 53I. Sharing of Information by Hospitals and Nursing Homes. A hospital or nursing home licensed by the department of public health shall share patient insurance and demographic information with ambulance service providers that treated a mutual patient upon request by the ambulance service provider.

    Mandates that hospitals and nursing homes share patient information with ambulance service providers to facilitate billing and care.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 203 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (203)

203 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 203 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does H1261 do?
An Act protecting patients from surprise bills related to emergency ambulance service
Who sponsors H1261?
H1261 is sponsored by Paul McMurtry (Democrat).
What is the current status of H1261?
This bill died with 194th General Court. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track H1261?
Track H1261 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 4 months ago · updated continuously

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