President's Perspective October 2018

Dear Fellow AAA Members, Aarron Reinert
President
American Ambulance Association Since I assumed the office of president last month at our Annual Conference, I have been deeply moved by the selfless actions of ambulance services across the nation as they responded to natural disasters. As always, EMS answered the call to help...

MedPAC Examines Beneficiary Use of Emergency Departments

During its October meeting, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), reviewed Medicare’s current policies related to non-urgent and emergency care, as these topics relate to the use of hospital emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care centers (UCCs). The Commission is examining this topic because the use of ED services in recent years has grown...

Talking Medicare: CMS Implements Further Dialysis Cuts

Talking Medicare: CMS Implements Further Cuts in Reimbursement for Dialysis Services; Medicare Payment Data Shows Continued Reduction in Overall Spending on Dialysis Transports, but Net Increase in Dialysis Payments in Prior Authorization States On October 1, 2018, CMS implemented an additional thirteen (13%) cut in reimbursement for non-emergency BLS transports to and from dialysis. This cut...

Message from President Reinert

Adapted from Aarron Reinert's address at the 2018 American Ambulance Association Membership Meeting & Awards Dear Fellow Member: I write today to introduce myself as the new President of the American Ambulance Association. It is my honor to serve on your behalf, and I wanted to share with you a bit about my vision for our association over...

Opioid Bill Heads to President Trump’s Desk

The AAA is pleased to report that language we supported on grant funding for opioid protection training for first responders has passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate and is now headed to the President’s desk. On Wednesday, the Senate passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act with a bipartisan vote of 98-1 in...

CMS Launches Outreach Effort to Ambulance Providers & Suppliers

As part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018), the Congress instructed CMS to develop a cost collection system to collect cost and revenue data related to the provision of ambulance services. Ambulance services are defined by federal law to include all levels of emergency and non-emergency services.  CMS is in the first...

Update on Opioid Legislation & Rural EMS Grant Program

The AAA continues to push on policy issues important to our members we are happy to provide an update on two pieces of legislation that we have been actively monitoring. Congress is proceeding with consideration of several legislative vehicles as they address key topics prior to the November elections. First Responder Opioid Grant Program The AAA...

Senators Release Draft Balance Billing Legislation

On Tuesday, September 18, 2018 Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) released draft legislation that aims to protect patients from surprise medical bills. The discussion draft (view the entire draft) of this proposed legislation tackles three main aspects of...

Preliminary Calculation of 2019 Ambulance Inflation Update

Section 1834(l)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act mandates that the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule be updated each year to reflect inflation.  This update is referred to as the “Ambulance Inflation Factor” or “AIF”. The AIF is calculated by measuring the increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) for the 12-month period...

LifeWorks October Feature: Work-Life Balance and Productivity

October Feature: Work-Life Balance and Productivity Ten Tips for Fitting Work and Life Together Would you like to move beyond feeling stressed or overwhelmed by your personal and work responsibilities? Or learn how to achieve personal and professional success on your own terms? “Knowing how to manage the way work and life fit together is a...

Narberth Ambulance Overcomes Major Hurdles In Its Billing System

Pennsylvania EMS Provider Achieves Major Billing Milestones Through Payor Logic Partnership and ESO Integration The Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Narberth was established in 1944 by residents of Narberth Borough, a suburb of Philadelphia, to provide transportation and first aid for soldiers returning from World War II via Philadelphia’s ports. The organization, now known as...

2018 AAA Board of Directors Election Results

The winners of the 2018 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association. President-Elect (2020) Shawn Baird Co-Owner Woodburn Ambulance Service, Inc. Woodburn, OR   Treasurer (2020) Julie Rose CEO/Executive Director; Board Secretary/Treasurer Community Care Ambulance Ashtabula, OH   Secretary (2020) Randy Strozyk Executive Vice President American Medical Response Seattle, WA   Director (2020) Mike...

IRS Proposed Rule on 199A Passthrough Deduction

The 199A passthrough business deduction was created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law on December 22, 2017. The creation of the 199A section within this legislation has since created many questions and needed clarifications. On August 8, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed regulations that provide guidance...

CMS Announces Revisions to Provider Enrollment Waiver Demonstration (PEWD) Program

CMS Announces Revisions to Provider Enrollment Moratoria Access Waiver Demonstration (PEWD) Program On August 20, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a notice in the Federal Register that it would be revising the terms of its Provider Enrollment Moratoria Access Waiver Demonstration (PEWD) Program. These revisions became effective on August 20, 2018. Section 6401(a)...

Government Affairs Update

Government Affairs Update: What We're Working On The AAA continues to press policy initiatives with Congress and the Administration that are important to our members. While not as high-profile as our successful efforts earlier this year on the five-year extension of the Medicare ambulance add-ons, the AAA is working hard on ambulance legislation and regulations...