Flight for Life, which transports patients to hospitals across southeastern Wisconsin, says Anthem owes it $2.1 million for dozens of emergency helicopter rides over the past two years. The patients included people injured in car crashes, premature babies and adults struggling to breathe.
The amounts claimed for individual flights range from $9,382 to $62,373. Flight for Life executive director Leif Erickson said Anthem had historically paid its bills but stopped late last year. “It was like a faucet they just shut off,” he said.
The dispute comes amid growing conflicts between health insurers and medical providers over a 2022 law designed to protect patients from surprise medical bills. The law allows arbitrators to determine appropriate reimbursement, and it has prompted millions of disputes. Providers have won arbitration decisions overwhelmingly, sometimes securing payments well above insurers’ usual rates.
Sources: The New York Times Business.