CASPER — A leading air ambulance company formally voiced its opposition to an ambitious plan by Wyoming policymakers to make aerial emergency transports a public utility funded under Medicaid in an effort to curb the cost of the flights. But the comment may be a moot point, as the federal government has signaled to state officials that the plan will likely be rejected.
The plan has been in the works for several months, as lawmakers and their analysts scrambled to find a solution to air ambulance costs in Wyoming. The plan, which requires federal approval, essentially would expand Medicaid in Wyoming to cover just air ambulance costs.
The service itself would be treated as a public utility; the state would, via a bidding process, select a Medicaid provider, set ambulance bases strategically and get a handle on costs.