Plan to end exorbitant ‘surprise’ ambulance bills heads to Congress

Privately insured Americans paid an average of $129m in surprise ambulance bills between 2013 and 2017. Photograph: Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

A committee chartered to find ways to stop ambulances from sending patients exorbitant bills is set to tell Congress that patients should pay no more than $100 or 10% of a bill, depending on which is less.

The recommendation, which still relies on the convoluted private insurance industry, comes as nearly half of all ambulance rides in the US result in a “surprise bill” of often hundreds of dollars.