Fw: Fwd: URGENT for TAA membership

[Guest guest]

Just a sample of a days work by the Texas Ambulance Assn. Join and make a

difference or just send letters. Thanks Jim Lyons  Board of Directors.

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Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 2:48:40 PM

Subject: Fwd: URGENT for TAA membership

Subject: Fwd: URGENT for TAA membership

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Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 9:55 AM

TAA

________________________________

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-----Inline Message Follows-----

Ron please forward to the membership

Dear members,

TAA is fighting a serious threat to reimbursement from auto liability policies.

please see the attached request for letters, also copied in the body of this

e-mail.

FAX LETTERS THIS WEEK BEFORE THE MONDAY HEARING.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me. I get e-mail on my cell phone and

would be delighted to assist you. If you want a return call, please give me your

number.

GK

--

GKlizicki J. Sprinkle

2801 Winston Court

Austin, TX 78731

512/458-1888 [voice]

512/695-7051 [cell]

HB 4251 Farrar

 

ALERT This bill is up for a hearing on Monday, April 27, 2009 upon adjournment

of the House in the Judiciary and civil Jurisprudence committee.

 

We need your letters opposing this bill. TODAY

 

This bill would preclude ambulance providers from accepting direct payment from

auto insurance policies under the PIP of these policies. This is something we

are working for in HB 2576 and therefore is not acceptable.

 

For the text of this bill go to

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB4251and

click on the type of display you want.

           

 

Legislators to target: Representatives on the House Judiciary and Civil

Jurisprudence Committee, names and fax numbers below:

 

Todd Hunter, Corpus Christi, Chair; , Marshall, Vice-Chair; o

Alonzo, Dallas; Dan Branch, Dallas; Will Hartnett, Dallas; Jim , Dallas;

Leibowitz, Bexar; Tyron , Odessa; Jerry Madden, Plano; Beverly

Woolley, Houston.

 

Hunter,

,

Alonzo,

Branch,

Hartnett,

,

Leibowitz,

,

Madden,

Woolley,

 

The bill does the following:

 

It supersedes the property code that allows for EMS to place a lien on a

person’s property.

 

It states that you have to meet the conditions in the civil practice and

remedies code for filing within 10 months or you can’t recover directly or by

way of a lien, assignment or other method from the proceeds of a patient’s

third-party tort judgment, uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance,

personal injury protection insurance or health benefit plan. It amends the

property code to say that you have to bill within the date required by the

insurer or law or you can’t recover from any money given to the patient. And

further, it says that the obligation from automobile insurance can’t be

directly assigned to a hospital or ambulance provider.

 

 

SAMPLE LETTER:

 

Dear Representative ________,

 

I an writing to oppose HB 4251 by Representative Farrar. I am [insert your

title] for the [insert the name of your company]. This bill is extremely unfair

to health care providers that assist motorists who have been injured in

accidents. It will put a significant burden on ambulance providers and lead

either to increased cost shifting or to elimination of emergency coverage in

Texas.

 

In the past few years, several counties in Texas have lost their ambulance

providers for 9-1-1- emergency medical services. The latest was on IH 45 between

Dallas and Houston.

 

Automobile policies have provisions for personal injury protection to cover both

medical and lost wages. Insurance companies tell me that most claims are for

medical bills, yet this legislation would limit the ability of medical providers

to collect on insurance that has been designated for them and that most people

file for. 

 

[Here insert your personal story of difficulties in collecting EMS bills from

people in automobile accidents.]

 

Can I count on you to oppose HB 4251?

 

Sincerely,