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Colo. Considers Emergency Responder Proposal

Colorado legislators are considering an amendment that would eliminate a requirement for auto insurance customers to purchase compulsory coverage to pay for emergency medical care services. The proposal was offered as an amendment to SB19 during a Senate Health and Human Services Committee Hearing.

The proposed program does not require consumers to purchase new compulsory insurance coverage to lawfully operate a motor vehicle. The state’s Division of Insurance would provide reimbursement of uncompensated trauma care services provided by first responders and trauma physicians to trauma patients injured in a motor vehicle accident.

“The Emergency Responder and Trauma Care Reimbursement Program amendment offers a reasonable and pragmatic approach for assisting emergency responders and trauma care providers in collecting reimbursement for uncompensated emergency medical services, without requiring insurance consumers to purchase a mandatory emergency medical care coverage,” said Christian John Rataj, western region state affairs manager for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, which supports the proposal.

According to Rataj, the original bill’s proponents argued that Colorado faced a trauma care and emergency medical services “crisis” because responders and providers were unable to collect reimbursements in a timely manner for medical services provided to consumers who lack health insurance. The program has provisions to solve that problem and protect against mismanagement and abuse of claims procedures, he said.

Specifically, NAMIC said the proposed program would:

•Create a public fund, paid for by a $10 annual assessment at the time of registration of a motor vehicle, to assist in the reimbursement of and subrogation for uncollected emergency responder and trauma care provider services;

•Empower the Colorado Insurance Commissioner to appoint an administrator to oversee the program;

•Implement a mechanism for prioritizing reimbursements to emergency responders and trauma care providers;

•Establish an administrative process for evaluating and managing reimbursement claims; and

•Institute a routine reporting procedure for the legislature to utilize in assessing the ongoing accomplishments of the program.

Topics Colorado