An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 32.1-137.05:1, relating to nonemergency medical transportation providers; fee disclosure.
HB1115 adds a new section to the Code of Virginia requiring nonemergency medical transportation providers, or medical care facilities arranging such transportation, to disclose all fees and other charges the patient may owe before the ride is prearranged. The disclosure must be made on a standardized form developed by the Department of Health, and it must clearly state that the total cost shown reflects charges without insurance or discounted rates. The form may be delivered in a practical advance-notice format such as a brochure, rate sheet, invoice, or website.
The bill also places responsibility on transportation providers that contract with medical facilities to supply the facility with a compliant disclosure form before any transportation is arranged. Medical care facilities are expressly not required to create the form on the provider’s behalf. The Department of Health must publish the standardized form by October 1, 2026, and the new disclosure requirements take effect January 1, 2027.
The bill creates a new consumer-disclosure requirement in Virginia law for nonemergency medical transportation services, adding § 32.1-137.05:1 to the Code of Virginia. It affects providers that exclusively transport patients to, from, or between medical care facilities, except for services provided through Medicare or the state medical assistance plan, and it also affects medical care facilities that prearrange transportation with those providers. The Department of Health gains a new administrative duty to create and publish the standardized disclosure form.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or other debate, so there is no documented opposition or support to gauge from the legislative history provided. Based on the bill’s text, the measure appears to be a straightforward consumer-protection and transparency bill aimed at helping patients understand transportation costs before they incur them.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The main policy issue inherent in the bill is the allocation of compliance responsibility: providers must furnish the disclosure form, while medical care facilities are not required to generate it. Another possible area of concern is the scope of the disclosure requirement for patients who may be using transportation arranged in connection with medical care but not covered by insurance or discounted rates.