New OIG advisory blesses municipal ambulance service "insurance only" billing for residents

OIG Advisory Opinion 06-07, posted June 29, confirms earlier advisories and, interestingly, relies on a manual provision (Pub. 100-2 BPM Chap. 16, sec. 50.3.1) that permits municipally-owned facilities to waive copays.  The advisory is crystal clear, however, in limiting the opinion to municipal services — a private service that offers to waive copays for residents will be seen as offering illegal remuneration in order to have a municipal contract awarded.