S 6255: Relates to reimbursement for ambulance services; requires insurers to submit payments directly to ambulance providers who are in-network or, for out-of-network ambulance providers, requires the issuance of a joint check to the insured specifying both the insured and the ambulance provider as payees.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6255 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 7, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to reimbursement for ambulance services The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph 24 of subsection (i) of section 3216 of the 2 insurance law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (F) to read as 3 follows: 4 (F) An insurer who issues reimbursement under this paragraph shall 5 submit such payments either directly to the provider at the rates nego- 6 tiated between the provider and the insurer, or if no rate has been 7 negotiated between the provider and insurer, then to the insured in the 8 form of a joint check specifying as payees both the insured and the 9 provider of ambulance services, at the usual and customary charge, which 10 shall not be excessive or unreasonable; provided however, if the provid- 11 er of ambulance services has on file a duly executed assignment of bene- 12 fits for such services to the insurer, notwithstanding any policy 13 language to the contrary, the issuer shall accept such assignment of 14 benefits and the insurer shall issue reimbursement solely to the provid- 15 er. An insurer issuing payment in the form of a joint check shall notify 16 the provider via electronic communication of the issuance of such 17 payment. The notification shall include the name of the patient, the 18 date of service, the date of payment, the amount of payment and the 19 address to which the payment was sent. 20 § 2. Paragraph 15 of subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance 21 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (F) to read as follows: 22 (F) An insurer who issues reimbursement under this paragraph shall 23 submit such payments either directly to the provider at the rates nego- 24 tiated between the provider and the insurer, or if no rate has been 25 negotiated between the provider and insurer, then to the insured in the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09361-01-5 
 S. 6255 2 1 form of a joint check specifying as payees both the insured and the 2 provider of ambulance services, at the usual and customary charge, which 3 shall not be excessive or unreasonable; provided however, if the provid- 4 er of ambulance services has on file a duly executed assignment of bene- 5 fits for such services to the insurer, notwithstanding any policy 6 language to the contrary, the insurer shall accept such assignment of 7 benefits and the insurer shall issue reimbursement solely to the provid- 8 er. An insurer issuing payment in the form of a joint check shall notify 9 the provider via electronic communication of the issuance of such 10 payment. The notification shall include the name of the patient, the 11 date of service, the date of payment, the amount of payment and the 12 address to which the payment was sent. 13 § 3. Subsection (aa) of section 4303 of the insurance law is amended 14 by adding a new paragraph 6 to read as follows: 15 (6) An insurer who issues reimbursement under this subsection shall 16 submit such payments either directly to the provider at the rates nego- 17 tiated between the provider and the insurer, or if no rate has been 18 negotiated between the provider and insurer, then to the insured in the 19 form of a joint check specifying as payees both the insured and the 20 provider of ambulance services, at the usual and customary charge, which 21 shall not be excessive or unreasonable; provided however, if the provid- 22 er of ambulance services has on file a duly executed assignment of bene- 23 fits for such services to the insurer, notwithstanding any policy 24 language to the contrary, the insurer shall accept such assignment of 25 benefits and the insurer shall issue reimbursement solely to the provid- 26 er. An insurer issuing payment in the form of a joint check shall notify 27 the provider via electronic communication of the issuance of such 28 payment. The notification shall include the name of the patient, the 29 date of service, the date of payment, the amount of payment and the 30 address to which the payment was sent. 31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.