PAAW advocates answered the call at the State Capitol this week, testifying in front of two legislative committees on the No Surprises Act, a proposal to end the practice of “balance billing patients” for EMS services not covered by private insurance.

Testimony on the subject was lopsided at both public hearings. At last Wednesday’s hearing in front of the Assembly Health Committee, five PAAW advocates and one patient defined the need for this bill in simple terms: require insurance companies to provide fair reimbursement, directly to the EMS provider, in a reasonable timeframe. On Tuesday, six PAAW advocates repeated the narrative to the Senate Insurance Committee.

On the other side of the table, the insurance industry had the same person at both hearings reading similar written testimony. In that testimony, insurance advocates registered their support for EMS services - especially in underserved areas - but could not support legislation that removed their ability to negotiate service rates.

The feedback from lawmakers at the hearings was overwhelmingly favorable. Our advocate team made strong arguments and addressed every aspect of the issue. However, it is far from complete. With the 2025-26 Session winding down at the end of February, chairpersons must prioritize which bills their committee will forward for consideration. With limited session days left, legislative leaders will further prioritize which bills make it to the floor.

PAAW always plays to win in the legislative game. Our motto with the No Surprises Act this week was, "Swing hard in case you hit it!" We definitely hit it. Now we need a handful of lawmakers to act boldly and add Wisconsin to the list of states that have resolved this issue for patients.