2-18-715. Legislative findings and purpose. (1) The legislature finds that:

(a) air ambulance services provide a necessary, and sometimes lifesaving, means of transporting Montanans experiencing health emergencies;

(b) Montanans desire adequate access to air ambulance services;

(c) in many cases the high charges assessed by out-of-network air ambulance services and limited insurer and health plan reimbursements have resulted in Montanans incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses; and

(d) the federal Airline Deregulation Act preempts states from enacting any law related to a price, route, or service of an air carrier, which is interpreted as applying to air ambulance services.

(2) The purpose of 2-18-715 through 2-18-720 is to prevent Montanans from incurring excessive out-of-pocket expenses in out-of-network air ambulance situations in a manner that is not preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act.