HB 961 would expand Georgia’s surprise out-of-network medical billing protections to emergency ground ambulance rides. HB 961 would require health plans to treat the transport as a covered service when it is ordered by a first responder or treating clinician. For consumers, out-of-network ambulance cost-sharing would be capped at in-network levels, and ambulance providers could not bill patients beyond that amount for covered, paid services. The bill also sets a minimum payment standard for out-of-network ambulance providers and requires insurers to pay them directly (generally within 30 days). These changes could reduce unexpected ambulance bills for patients, though the relatively high required payment rates may increase costs of health insurance over time.