New York: Towns May Not Waive Ambulance Co-Payments

The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says municipalities can waive cost-sharing amounts for Medicare plan enrollees.

State law governs most health coverage arrangements in New York, and New York officials have held in a number of opinions that waiving charges without the knowledge of the insurer may constitute insurance fraud, officials write in the new opinion.

“These opinions recognize that if an insurer is not aware of the amount that a provider is actually charging, then the claim may contain materially false information concerning any material fact thereto,” officials say.