AMED is soon to crack down on patients who withhold insurance payments. Reportedly, AMED has obtained informal permission from the Blair County DA’s office to prosecute those cases in which patients refuse to turn over insurance payments intended for AMED. Yesterday, AMED’s board approved an agreement that will now be submitted to the county commissioners for approval. If approved the ambulance service will accept liability for any harm that may result from such prosecutions, while it goes after its own money. Last year, over 240 thousand dollars from Highmark was not turned over to AMED, and instead was illegally held by 87 patients. According to the proposed agreement between AMED and the DA’s office, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds is a first-degree misdemeanor.
