Sorry for your ordeal, mara, and glad to hear you are recovering.
First, disclaimer, this is not legal advice. I do not play lawyer on the internet.
It sounds like you are in Massachusetts, or at least have coverage through a MA insurer, so you should be aware that there are some protections against bills resulting from out-of-network services. Some applicable regulations are copied below, and if you are interested, this lengthy report by the Health Policy Commission discusses out-of-network billing issues:
http://www.mass.gov/anf/budget-taxes-and-procurement/oversight-agencies/health-policy-commission/publications/2015-ctr-out-of-network.pdfThese laws don't prohibit the air ambulance company from balance billing you, but they do require that your insurance carrier protect you from paying more than you would have been responsible for had the air ambulance company been an in-network provider. If your insurance does not have any in-network air ambulance companies, then these laws might not be helpful.
If your insurance refuses to pay any more, and the ambulance company keeps balance billing you, I would call the insurance company and point out that they are required to cover emergency services as if they were in-network. If that doesn't get any traction, you could say you are going to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office. Again, air ambulance seems like a special case, so this may not work the same way it would for other emergency services.
Good luck!
Mass General Laws, Chapter 176I (Preferred Provider Arrangements):
"Section 3. Organizations, but not an insurer as defined in paragraph (7) of section one of chapter one hundred and fifty-two, may offer health benefit plans which provide for incentives for covered persons to use the health care services of preferred providers. Such health benefit policies or plans shall meet at least the following minimum requirements:
.
.
.
(b)
If a covered person receives emergency care and cannot reasonably reach a preferred provider, payment for care related to the emergency shall be made at the same level and in the same manner as if the covered person had been treated by a preferred provider; provided, however, that every brochure, contract, policy manual and all printed materials shall clearly state that covered persons shall have the option of calling the local pre-hospital emergency medical service system by dialing the emergency telephone access number 911, or its local equivalent, whenever a covered person is confronted with a need for emergency care, and no covered person shall in any way be discouraged from using the local pre-hospital emergency medical service system, the 911 telephone number, or the local equivalent, or be denied coverage for medical and transportation expenses incurred as a result of such use of emergency care;"
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter176I/Section3Mass General Laws, Chapter 176O (Health Maintenance Organizations):
"Section 6. (a) A carrier shall issue and deliver to at least one adult insured in each household residing in the commonwealth, upon enrollment, an evidence of coverage and any amendments thereto. Said evidence of coverage shall contain a clear, concise and complete statement of:
.
.
.
(4) the locations where, and the manner in which, health care services and other benefits may be obtained, including: (i) an explanation that
whenever a proposed admission, procedure or service that is a medically necessary covered benefit is not available to an insured within the carrier's network, the carrier shall cover the out-of-network admission, procedure or service and the insured will not be responsible to pay more than the amount which would be required for similar admissions, procedures or services offered within the carrier's network; and (ii) an explanation that whenever a location is part of the carrier's network, that the carrier shall cover medically necessary covered benefits delivered at that location and the insured shall not be responsible to pay more than the amount required for network services even if part of the medically necessary covered benefits are performed by out-of-network providers unless the insured has a reasonable opportunity to choose to have the service performed by a network provider."
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter176O/Section6