North Dakota Law Capping Air Ambulance Charges Invalidated

Air ambulance providers in North Dakota may continue to hit up emergency-care patients for thousands of dollars left unpaid by their health insurers.

The federal Airline Deregulation Act bars a state law that required air ambulance services to treat any payment made by an insurer as a full and final payment, the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota said Jan. 14.

The law capped Guardian Flight LLC’s rates and prices by prohibiting the emergency transportation provider from billing patients for the balance of its charges. The Airline Deregulation Act expressly prohibits states from regulating air carriers’ rates ...