It was not too long ago that news headlines were abuzz with the possibility of ending surprise billing but now, it seems nothing much has changed. The air ambulance industry too was watching the development with much anticipation. What happened to all the efforts surrounding it? If this question has across your mind, you are not alone. Thousands of Americans were hoping that the practice ends, and they can avail healthcare facilities without worrying about insurance coverage. Had the bill been passed, people would have enjoyed seamless coverage despite being in or out of insurance networks. However, this does not seem to be the case anymore. Let’s take a look at what happened.
Are Private Equity Investors to Be Blamed?
There are allegations flying around that big investors ran an aggressive ad campaign to cast doubts on the move to ban surprise billing practices. On the part of the air ambulance industry, it must be noted that several service providers had enrolled themselves with various insurance providers to widen their network – a very welcome move.
Another set of people believe that lobbying against the bill was quite strong. In that, some of the lawmakers, at the end of it, were not very keen on ending the practice. The reason behind this is not entirely clear, though.
Is COVID-119 to be Blamed?
Many industries, including the air ambulance industry, had felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that gripped the world. The increase in cost – owing to extensive sanitization and pandemic protocols – and reduction in demand were just a few of the reasons that put economic pressure on the air ambulance industry. Besides, the availability of medical staff became a big concern. The government too was grappling with ways to combat the unprecedented situation. With so many things weighing in, the will to do away with surprise billing seems to have simply vanished – at least for the time being.
