RFP: Cost Collection SME/Project Director

Request for Proposals: Subject Matter Expert (SME)/ Project Director Ambulance Cost Data Collection Due April 20, 2019 Overview The American Ambulance Association (AAA) invites proposals from qualified interested parties (individual and teams) for the purpose of directing the Ambulance Cost Data Project as a Subject Matter Expert (SME). Introduction As part of the extension of the Ambulance Medicare Add on payments,...

Summary of March 28, 2019 Ambulance ODF

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) held its latest Open Door Forum on Wednesday, March 28, 2019.  As with past Open Door Forums, CMS started the call with the following announcements: Ambulance Cost Data Collection – CMS reminded the industry that the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, enacted on February 9, 2018,...

The Paycheck Fairness Act

Following many states that have enacted laws geared towards preventing or eliminating inequities in pay between men and women, The Paycheck Fairness Act which was introduced on March 27, 2019, will prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their salary histories or using those histories to base pay or compensation rates.  The Act would...

New Parents Act Introduced to Provide for Paid Family Leave

On March 27, 2019, Senator Marco Rubio (FL) and Mitt Romney (UT) introduced the New Parents Act which would provide paid parental leave for up to three months by permitting new parents to tap into future Social Security Benefits by either delaying or reducing those benefits later in life.  The Bill also permits new...

UPDATED: CMS Open Door Forum - Thursday, March 28

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has scheduled its next Ambulance Open Door Forum for Thursday, March 28 at 2:00 PM Eastern. If you plan to attend, please dial in at least 15 minutes before the call. CMS Ambulance Open Door Forum March 28 | 2:00 PM ET Participant Dial-In Number:  1-800-837-1935 Conference ID #: 6695896 Questions? Have more questions? The AAA is...

HHS OIG Issues Advisory Opinion on Community Paramedicine

HHS OIG Issues Advisory Opinion Permitting Community Paramedicine Program Designed to Limit Hospital Readmissions On March 6, 2019, the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) posted OIG Advisory Opinion 19-03. The opinion related to free, in-home follow-up care offered by a hospital to eligible patients for the purpose of reducing hospital admissions or readmissions. The...

Update on New SNF Edits

CMS Set to Implement New Common Working File Edits to Identify Ambulance Services Provided in Connection with Outpatient Hospital Services that should be bundled to the SNF under Consolidated Billing. In a Member Advisory issued last week, the AAA provided an update on a series of new Common Working File (CWF) edits intended to identify...

CMS SNF Edits Go Into Effect - April 1, 2019

CMS Set to Implement New Common Working File Edits to Identify Ambulance Services Provided in Connection with Outpatient Hospital Services that should be bundled to the SNF under Consolidated Billing On November 2, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Transmittal 2176 (Change Request 10955), which would establish a new series of...

DOL Issues Long-Awaited Proposed Overtime Rule

On March 7, 2019, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) issued the long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) which proposes changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime provisions.  These proposed changes, which are detail in the 219-page document, follow nearly three years of legal actions challenging the USDOL’s 2016 proposed...

CMS to Host Additional ET3 Model Webinar (3/7)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has scheduled an additional webinar on the new Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model announced on February 14, 2019. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 7th at 2:00 PM Eastern. Registration is open. CMS ET3 Model Webinar March 7 | 2:00 PM ET

AAA Webinar Wednesday, March 6: Tools for Billing Services and Other Vendors

Whether you contract with a third-party billing service, or have an internal billing department, the upcoming Ambulance Cost Data Collection (ACE) webinar hosted by the AAA on Wednesday, March 6 is a can’t miss. As we get closer to new Cost Data Collection requirements taking effect across the ambulance service community, the American Ambulance Association...

CMS ET3 Model Webinar & Follow Up AAA Member Q&A Call - Wednesday, Feb. 27

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has scheduled a webinar on the new Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model announced on February 14, 2019. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 27th at 1:00 PM Eastern. Registration is open. CMS ET3 Model Webinar February 27 | 1:00 PM ET Questions? Have more questions? The AAA is here to...

Release: CMMI Announces Ambulance Innovative Payment Pilot Program

February 14, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact Maria Bianchi American Ambulance Association 202-802-9020 info@ambulance.org CMMI Announces Ambulance Innovative Payment Pilot Program Washington, DC – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced the launch of the Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model.  During the next five years, this model will test...

AAA Releases 2019 State Medicaid Ambulance Rate Survey

The AAA is pleased to release its 2019 State Medicaid Rate Survey. This survey sets forth the fee-for-service Medicaid rates for all 50 states. For each state, the Survey lists the rate paid for each of the following procedure codes: A0428 – BLS Non-Emergency A0429 – BLS Emergency A0426 – ALS Non-Emergency A0427 –...

EEOC Extends EEO-1 Reporting Deadline

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had announced that it has postponed the opening of EEO-1 data reporting until early March and also extended the deadline for employers to submit their EEO-1 data until May 31, 2019.  The EEOC has cited that these deadlines have been postponed due to the lapse in funding as...