(a) (1) Unless otherwise required by this chapter, a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, shall require an insured who receives covered services from a noncontracting ground ambulance provider to pay no more than the same cost-sharing amount that the insured would pay for the same covered services received from a contracting ground ambulance provider. This amount shall be referred to as the “in-network cost-sharing amount.”

(2) An insured shall not owe the noncontracting ground ambulance provider more than the in-network cost-sharing amount for services subject to this section. At the time of payment by the insurer to the noncontracting provider, the insurer shall inform the insured and the noncontracting provider of the in-network cost-sharing amount owed by the insured and shall disclose whether or not the insured’s coverage is regulated by the department or if the coverage is not state-regulated.

(b) (1) The in-network cost-sharing amount paid by the insured pursuant to this section shall count toward the limit on annual out-of-pocket expenses established under Section 10112.28.

(2) Cost sharing arising pursuant to this section shall count toward any deductible in the same manner as cost sharing would be attributed to a contracting provider.

(3) The in-network cost-sharing amount paid by the insured pursuant to this section shall satisfy the insured’s obligation to pay cost sharing for the health service.

(c) A noncontracting ground ambulance provider shall only advance to collections the in-network cost-sharing amount, as determined by the insurer pursuant to subdivision (a), that the insured failed to pay.

(1) A noncontracting ground ambulance provider, or an entity acting on its behalf, including a debt buyer or assignee of the debt, shall not report adverse information to a consumer credit reporting agency or commence civil action against the insured for a minimum of 12 months after the initial billing regarding amounts owed by the insured pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2) With respect to an insured, a noncontracting ground ambulance provider, or an entity acting on its behalf, including an assignee of the debt, shall not use wage garnishments or liens on primary residences as a means of collecting unpaid bills pursuant to this section.

(d) (1) Unless otherwise agreed to by the noncontracting ground ambulance provider and the health insurer, the insurer shall directly reimburse a noncontracting ground ambulance provider for ground ambulance services the difference between the in-network cost-sharing amount and an amount described, as follows:

(A) If there is a rate established or approved by a local government, at the rate established or approved by the governing body of the local government having jurisdiction for that area or subarea, including an exclusive operating area pursuant to § 1797.85 of the Health and Safety Code.

(B) If the local government having jurisdiction where the service was provided does not have an established or approved rate for that service, the reasonable and customary value for the services rendered, based upon statistically credible information that is updated at least annually and takes into consideration all of the following:

(i) The ambulance provider’s training, qualifications, and length of time in practice.

(ii) The nature of the services provided.

(iii) The fees usually charged by the ambulance provider.

(iv) Prevailing ground ambulance provider rates charged in the general geographic areas in which the services were rendered.

(v) Other aspects of the economics of the ambulance provider’s practice that are relevant.

(vi) Any unusual circumstances in the case.

(2) A local government has jurisdiction over the ground ambulance transport if either of the following applies:

(A) The ground ambulance transport is initiated within the boundaries of the local government’s regulatory jurisdiction.

(B) In the case of ground ambulance transports provided on a mutual or automatic aid basis into another jurisdiction, the local government where the noncontracting ground ambulance provider is based.

(3) A payment made by the health insurer to the noncontracting ground ambulance provider for services as required in subdivision (a), plus the applicable cost sharing owed by the insured, shall constitute payment in full for services rendered.

(4) Notwithstanding any other law, the amounts paid by a health insurer for services under this section shall not constitute the prevailing or customary charges, the usual fees to the general public, or other charges for other payers for an individual ground ambulance provider.

(e) A health insurer or ground ambulance provider may seek relief in any appropriate court for the purpose of resolving a payment dispute. A ground ambulance provider may use a health insurer’s existing dispute resolution process under Section 10123.137.

(f) This section does not affect the balance billing protections for Medi-Cal beneficiaries under § 14019.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 454, Sec. 5. (AB 716) Effective January 1, 2024.)