Advocacy
The AAA continues to press the Congress and federal agencies for help to ensure ambulance service organizations and our paramedics and EMTs have the necessary resources and financial assistance to serve their communities.
Help support the AAA’s efforts by contacting your members of Congress today asking them to increase and extend our temporary Medicare add-on payments, which are set to expire at the end of this year:
Contact your Members of Congress
2024 AAA Advocacy Priorities
Medicare Ambulance Relief
Last Congress, the AAA was successful in securing a two year extension of our 2% urban, 3% rural, and 22.6% super rural Medicare add on payments. On March 17, 2023 Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2023 (HR 1666) which would extend the current temporary increases under the Medicare ambulance fee schedule for another three years. On May 18, 2023, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) introduced S. 1673, which would extend the Medicare add on payments for three years at an increased rate of 3.4% for urban, 4.3% and for rural, and 26.2% for the super rural bonus payment. These increased payment levels would help offset the increased costs of providing ground ambulance services.
2024 SENATE Medicare Add-On One-Pager
Senate Extender Bill Support Letter Template
2024 HOUSE Medicare Add-On One-Pager
Join our grassroots campaign by contacting your members of Congress urging them to cosponsor our Medicare legislation!
Support Medicare Ambulance Relief
Veteran’s Affairs
On February 16, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a final rule entitled “Change in Rates VA Pays for Special Modes of Transportation.”Under the final rule, the VA would reimburse for ambulance services provided through its beneficiary travel program at the lesser of the actual charge or Medicare ambulance rates. The Medicare program reimburses ground ambulance service organizations below the cost of providing critical 9-1-1 emergency and urgent interfacility ambulance medical and transportation services. Ground ambulance service organizations are already facing extreme financial challenges with a severe workforce shortage and higher operating costs. Further reimbursement cuts could result in longer response times to 9-1-1 calls and urgent requests for interfacility transports of critical patients as well as access to medical care for not only veterans but also entire communities especially in rural areas. The efforts of the American Ambulance Association and our partner organization assisted in securing a delay on implementation of the VA Final Rule until February 16, 2029. While we were successful in delaying implementation of the rule we will continue to push for passage of the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act, S.2757 and H.R. 5330, which would direct the VA to further analyze the impact of the final rule and create an advisory committee to evaluate future reimbursement rates which could not be below the cost of providing vital ambulance services.
2024 VA Emergency Transport One-Pager
EMS Workforce Shortage
With the persistent shortage of ground ambulance service field personnel raising to a crisis level, the AAA has moved the issue to being a top policy priority. In November of 2023 Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (D-WA) and Congressman Brad Finstad (R-MN) introduced H.R 6433, The Preserve Access to Rapid Ambulance Emergency Medical Treatment Act (PARA-EMT Act). This important legislation addresses the critical workforce shortage facing EMS organizations throughout the country by creating an EMS workforce grant training program, assisting combat medics entering the civilian workforce by providing grants to states, and conducting a study of the EMS workforce shortage and of the training and education programs needed to meet projected demand in the next decade.
Participate in our grassroots campaign urging your member of the House of Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 6433.
Support EMS Workforce Legislation
Balance Billing
The AAA successfully educated the Congress on the role of local government oversight and other unique characteristics of providing ground ambulance service organizations. As a result, the Congress directed the establishment of a Ground Ambulance and Balance Billing Advisory Committee to address the issue. The committee has concluded their work and submitted their report and recommendations on ground ambulance balance billing to the US Congress. The American Ambulance Association will continue to work with key committee members to advocate that Congress implement policies that meet the needs of our members.
We will keep you posted of new developments. Thank you for your continued support of the American Ambulance Association.
The American Ambulance Association invites you to become involved with our efforts on Capitol Hill. It is thanks to our member’s contributions, both time and resources, that we are able to have such a strong influence with federal legislators. The efforts of the AAA’s legislative team and our members have given our industry nearly $2 billion in desperately needed Medicare relief over the last 12 years. Become a member today and join this important work.