Dem Governor Vetoes Ban on Surprise Ambulance Bills in Shocking Move
Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, has vetoed a bill that would ban surprise billing by ambulance companies, over the unanimous objections of both chambers of the state legislature.
Why would Polis veto a bill that's popular with everyone, even Colorado Republicans? The governor wrote in his veto statement that drafting errors in the bill made it 'unimplementable,' and estimated that it would make insurance premiums go up by as much as $0.73 to $2.15 per person.
'I am committed to working with proponents and sponsors to protect Coloradans from surprise bills, but I encourage all parties to work towards a more reasonable reimbursement rate that mitigates premium impacts and nets a better deal for Colorado families,' Polis wrote.
In Colorado, if legislators in both chambers repass the bill with a two-thirds majority, they can override the governor's veto, especially considering that the bill passed with the support of every single legislator. But the legislature adjourned on May 7, meaning that the bill has to be passed again when the legislature reconvenes in January.
For some reason, ending surprise ambulance billing nationally is not the slam-dunk issue it should be. Congress ended most surprise medical bills in 2020, but exempted ground ambulances from the bill. Was Polis's veto due to badly drafted language and a (seemingly modest) price hike in insurance premiums as he said, or was it for a different, more nefarious reason? We might not know unless and until the bill is reintroduced next year.
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