Mobile Life Support Services, an Orange County, N.Y.-based ambulance company, has settled with the state for unlawfully billing patients, the New York attorney general said Oct. 6.
According to the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, Mobile Life engaged in balance billing, sometimes sending patients to debt collection for unpaid bills.
Balance billing is illegal under New York law, meaning providers cannot bill patients for the difference between the cost of the service and what their insurance covers.
The ambulance company will pay restitution to all patients who paid illegal charges, according to a news release. As part of the settlement, the company will request closure of all relevant accounts with debt collectors, change its billing practices and pay a $100,000 fine.