Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (GAPB)

No Surprises Act - Overview

Title I (No Surprises Act) and Title II (Transparency) of Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), establish new protections for consumers related to surprise billing and transparency in health care. The legislation contains new requirements for group health plans, health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets, providers, facilities, and air ambulance providers. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) (and to a lesser degree the Department of Transportation and other federal and external components), is responsible for implementation and, along with state regulatory entities, enforcement of these new requirements.

Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing FACA Committee

Overview

The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury (the Secretaries) to establish and convene an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to improve the disclosure of charges and fees for ground ambulance services, better inform consumers of insurance options for such services, and protect consumers from balance billing. The Advisory Committee must submit a report that includes recommendations with respect to disclosure of charges and fees for ground ambulance services and insurance coverage, consumer protection and enforcement authorities of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury and State authorities, and the prevention of balance billing to consumers. The report must be received no later than 180 days after the date of its first meeting.

Committee Activity

The Charter for the Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing (GAPB) was signed by the HHS Secretary on November 16, 2021.  On November 23, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Federal Register Notice announcing the establishment of the Committee, and inviting interested persons to submit applications or nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee on Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing. 

A Federal Register Notice was published on December 13, 2022 to announce the selection of GAPB Committee Members, and dates for the Committee’s first Meeting.

The Committee held three public meetings between May 2 and November 1, 2023, and its charter was renewed on November 16, 2023. The Committee issued its Report to the Secretaries containing Recommendations on preventing balance billing for ground ambulance services and protecting consumers on August 28, 2024. 

Committee Status - Currently Inactive

• The Committee Issued its Report on August 28, 2024 which can be found here.
• The Committee’s Charter was renewed on November 16, 2023.
• The Committee’s third meeting was held October 31 & November 1, 2023.
• The GAPB Advisory Committee requested public comment on 14 topics between August 16 and  September 5, 2023.  Please submit public comment to: GAPBAdvisoryCommittee@cms.hhs.gov.
• The Committee’s second meeting was held August 16, 2023.
• The Committee’s first meeting was held May 2 & 3, 2023.
• The Membership Roster was announced on 12/13/2022.
• The GAPB Charter was signed on 11/16/2021.  

Committee Members

• Asbel Montes – Committee Chairperson; Additional Representative determined necessary and appropriate by the Secretaries.
• Ali Khawar – Secretary of Labor’s Designee
• Carol Weiser – Secretary of Treasury’s Designee
• Rogelyn McLean – Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Designee
• Gamunu Wijetunge – Department of Transportation – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Suzanne Prentiss – State Insurance Regulators
• Adam Beck – Health Insurance Providers
• Patricia Kelmar – Consumer Advocacy Groups
• Gary Wingrove – Patient Advocacy Groups
• Ayobami Ogunsola – State and Local Governments
• Ritu Sahni – Physicians specializing in emergency, trauma, cardiac, or stroke
• Peter Lawrence – State Emergency Medical Services Officials
• Shawn Baird – Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, and Other Emergency Medical Services Personnel
• Edward Van Horne – Representative of Various Segments of the Ground Ambulance Industry
• Regina Godette-Crawford – Representative of Various Segments of the Ground Ambulance Industry
• Rhonda Holden – Representative of Various Segments of the Ground Ambulance Industry
• Loren Adler – Additional Representative determined necessary and appropriate by the Secretaries

Meetings

• May 2 & 3, 2023 Virtual Meeting.
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads” section.
  • Recordings of this virtual meeting are available in a YouTube playlist in the "Related Links" section.
• August 16, 2023 Virtual Meeting.
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads” section.
  • Recordings of this virtual meeting are available in a YouTube playlist in the "Related Links" section.
• October 31 & November 1, 2023 Virtual Meeting.
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads”
  • Recordings of this virtual meeting are available in a YouTube playlist in the “Related Links” section.

Contact Us

GAPBAdvisoryCommittee@cms.hhs.gov