BILL NUMBER:S8076

TITLE OF BILL:

An  act to amend the insurance law, in relation to private air ambulance
service

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To clarify that a subscription plan offered by a  non-profit  air  ambu-
lance service is exempt from insurance licensing and other requirements.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section  1108 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection
(j) stating that a private air ambulance services that solicits  member-
ship subscriptions does not fall under the purview of insurance provided
it meets certain criteria.

JUSTIFICATION:

Subscription  plans have a long history of serving as a means for chari-
table donations to emergency medical transporters. Many volunteer  ambu-
lance  companies and air medical transports have used subscription plans
as a way to encourage their communities' participation and to supplement
their financial needs. In recent years, there were  some  concerns  that
              

these subscription plans may have fallen within the definition of insur-
ance and therefore needed to be licensed by the New York State Insurance
Department. This bill will clarify that a subscription plan offered by a
non-profit  air  ambulance service is not insurance and therefore allow-
able.

Air medical services generally handle  on-scene  emergency  calls  which
include  car  accidents, skiing injuries, and industrial accidents.  The
rapid transport and quality of care received in the air has saved  thou-
sands of lives and improved recovery outcomes for thousands more.  Emer-
gency and inter-facility air transportation is expensive and the cost is
not  wholly  covered by insurance. Non-profit providers struggle to keep
their organizations viable  and  staffed  with  high  quality  and  well
trained  individuals  yet  their services are essential, particularly in
rural parts of New York. Rather than face losing  these  vital  non-pro-
fits,  this  legislation  would  allow  these  organizations  to  use  a
subscription plan as one of their many fundraising tools.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This  act  shall  take  effect  on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.