Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Chair of the New York State Assembly Commission on Rural Resources announced the "direct pay" legislation he cosponsored has been signed into law (A.250), a crucial step towards reforming the reimbursement process for ambulance and emergency medical service (EMS) providers. Santabarbara played a pivotal role in advocating for this legislation, which passed both the Senate and Assembly unanimously during the recent legislative session.

The bill transforms the pay model for ambulance and EMS service providers, ensuring they are directly and reliably compensated by health insurers. This change is anticipated to simplify the reimbursement process, providing critical resources to these essential healthcare providers, and relieving unnecessary financial burdens on patients across New York State.

Assemblyman Santabarbara stated, "The 'direct pay' legislation is a necessary advancement for our state's healthcare system. It streamlines the reimbursement process for ambulance service providers, alleviating financial burdens on patients and ensures that our ambulance providers receive uninterrupted support for their vital work."

“This direct pay bill is an important step in making sure payments get to EMS providers in appropriate manner. It is also quite helpful to the patients to use the service,” said Dean Romano, Executive Director of Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services and member of the New York State Rural Ambulance Task Force. “Medical billing which includes emergency medical services can be very complicated. This bill simplifies that for patients and ensures that EMS providers receive payment for services provided.”

This legislative achievement reflects Assemblyman Santabarbara's ongoing commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency for all New Yorkers.