Committee leaders urge DOT to create air ambulance advisory committee

Leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday urged Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to promptly appoint and convene an advisory committee required by the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 to advise Congress and the departments of Health and Human Services and Transportation on protecting consumers from balance billing for air ambulance transports. “This information is critical as Congress considers appropriate steps to find the best solution to protect consumers from surprise bills,” the committee leaders wrote. “However, the committee has failed to convene, let alone produce a report.” AHA testified at the committee’s May hearing on protecting patients from surprise medical bills, including on the need for a federal solution to address surprise bills related to air ambulances.