20-25-1315. Legislative findings and purpose. (1) The legislature finds that:
(a) air ambulance services provide a necessary, and sometimes lifesaving, means of transporting Montanans experiencing health emergencies;
(b) Montanans desire adequate access to air ambulance services;
(c) in many cases the high charges assessed by out-of-network air ambulance services and limited insurer and health plan reimbursements have resulted in Montanans incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses; and
(d) the federal Airline Deregulation Act preempts states from enacting any law related to a price, route, or service of an air carrier, which is interpreted as applying to air ambulance services.
(2) The purpose of 20-25-1315 through 20-25-1320 is to prevent Montanans from incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses in out-of-network air ambulance situations in a manner that is not preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 231, L. 2017.