Air Ambulance Provider Subject to Texas Workers’ Comp Pay Law

An air ambulance provider’s payment for transporting injured workers must be determined under a Texas law governing workers’ compensation insurance, as a federal law doesn’t preempt it, a Texas appeals court said.

The Texas Workers’ Compensation Act’s prohibition on balance billing—charging patients for unpaid amounts—has no effect on PHI Air Medical LLC’s prices and thus isn’t preempted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act, the Texas Court of Appeals, Third District said.

The case was back in the appeals court after the Texas Supreme Court held that the ADA doesn’t preempt the TWCA’s reimbursement provisions. The state’s top court said the ...