Texas EMS Alliance
Statement on HB 3848

HB 3848 would expand Texans’ access to in-network non-emergency ambulance transport.

Austin, Texas – The Texas EMS Alliance (TEMSA) supports HB 3848, which would direct the Texas Department of Insurance to create network adequacy standards for non-emergency ambulance service. The measure would promote good faith negotiations between health plans and EMS agencies that provide non-emergency ambulance service, such as transports between health care facilities or from health care facilities to residences. A recent study by the Texas Department of Insurance indicated that fewer than 15 percent of ground ambulance transports are provided by in-network services.

The bill, which is authored by Rep. Tom Oliverson, MD, is aimed at protecting Texans by extending network adequacy standards to non-emergency ambulance services. The state’s existing network adequacy standards apply to other segments of the health care industry, such as physicians and hospitals.

Texans Deserve an Adequate Network of Providers

A Texan who purchases a commercial insurance plan and pays monthly premiums expects to have an adequate network of providers. Rep. Oliverson’s bill, which is one of the first bills of its kind in the nation, would provide Texans with more robust insurance coverage and greater access to medically necessary non-emergency ambulance transportation.

About the Texas EMS Alliance

The Texas EMS Alliance was founded in 2014 to serve as the unified voice of Texas EMS agencies. Over 85 Texas EMS agencies that represent both rural and urban 911 providers stretch across the state.