NLRB Decision Impacting Severance Agreements
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NREMT | In Memoriam: Rocco V. Morando leaves a rich legacy for EMS
Rocco V. Morando, the Founder and first Executive Director of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on the morning of February 21, 2023 after a prolonged illness. He was 95. “It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of our organization’s founder,” Bill Seifarth, the current executive director of the organization announced to his staff and board this afternoon. “Rocco Morando was a luminary in the EMS profession and was instrumental in helping shape the lifesaving system we know today. His legacy will continue to provide inspiration for years to come, and we are grateful for his contributions.”
On June 4, 1970, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians was established following the recommendation of a task force assembled under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Committee on Highway Traffic Safety. Morando was selected as the National Registry’s founding executive director in 1971 and held that position for nearly two decades.
During his career at the National Registry, Morando oversaw a number of accomplishments, including: the first basic NREMT-A examination administered simultaneously to 1,520 ambulance personnel at 51 test sites throughout the United States (1971); the first recertification of Nationally Registered EMTs based on re-evaluation of skills (1973); the development of the first national paramedic curriculum in conjunction with leading EMS agencies and the University of Pittsburgh (1976-77); and the first NREMT-Paramedic examination (1978); the development of the first NREMT-Intermediate curriculum and examination (1980).
Upon his retirement on December 31, 1988, Morando was honored with a celebration attended by hundreds of friends and representatives from national EMS organizations. The National Registry’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio was renamed the Rocco V. Morando Building that same year.
The Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award, named in his honor, recognizes a lifetime of commitment, contributions and leadership to Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The award is presented by the National Association of EMTs and is sponsored by the National Registry.
Current and former employees, along with those throughout the EMS community, send their thoughts and condolences to Rocco’s family and friends.
Funeral arrangements are still being made at this time. More information will be available on the funeral home’s website.
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Senators Raise EMS Workforce Shortage During Hearing
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Department of Veterans Affairs Issues Final Rule on Reimbursement for Ambulance Services and Other Special Modes of Transportation
On February 16, 2023, the Department of Veterans published in the Federal Register the final rule to revise the payment methodology for beneficiary travel by ambulance and other so-called “special modes of transportation. The changes contained within the final rule were first included in a November 5, 2020 proposed rule.
The final rule will become effective on February 16, 2024.
Relevant Background
The VA currently pays for beneficiary travel under certain circumstances. To be eligible for reimbursement, the veteran must meet certain eligibility criteria. Specifically, the veteran must be traveling either: (i) for care at a VA health facility or (ii) for care at a non-VA facility that has been previously approved by the VA. The veteran must also meet one of the following additional criteria:
- The veteran must have a VA disability rating of 30% or higher;
- The veteran must be traveling for treatment of a service-related condition (if their VA disability rating is less than 30%);
- The veteran receives a VA pension;
- The veteran has an income below the maximum annual VA pension rate;
- The veteran cannot otherwise afford to pay for their travel; or
- The veteran is traveling for one of the following reasons: (i) to obtain a VA compensation and pension exam, (ii) to obtain a VA service dog, or (iii) to obtain VA-approved transplant care.
Beneficiary travel covers all modes of transportation, including transportation by private vehicle, common carriers (e.g., taxi, livery, and public transportation), mass transit, etc. Beneficiary travel also covers so-called “special modes of transportation,” which includes air and ground ambulance services, wheelchair vans services, and stretcher vans services.
The rules governing the payment for beneficiary travel services at set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 70.30.
Subpart (a)(4) sets forth the payment methodology for the reimbursement of special modes of transport, and simply provides that payment is based on “[t]he actual cost of a special mode of transportation. In the context of ambulance services, this has historically been interpreted to mean the ambulance provider’s full billed charges.
Provisions of Final Rule
Under the final rule, the VA would revise its existing payment methodology for beneficiary travel by ambulance and other special modes of transportation to no longer reimburse providers for their actual costs, and to instead base reimbursement on:
- For ground and air ambulance services, the lesser of: (i) the actual charge for ambulance transportation (i.e., the provider’s billed charges) or (ii) the amount determined under the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule.
- For other special modes of transportation (i.e., ambulette, wheelchair van, or stretcher van), the lesserof: (i) the provider’s actual charge, (ii) the applicable Medicaid rate in the state where the provider is domiciled (using the lowest Medicaid rate where the provider is domiciled in multiple states), or (iii) the applicable Medicaid rate in the state where the transport occurred (or the lowest Medicaid rate if the transport occurred in more than one state). Note: the revised regulations provide that if none of the states involved has a “posted rate,” the VA would continue to pay the provider’s full billed charges
The revised payment methodology for non-ambulance special modes of transport is intended to be temporary. In its proposed rule, the VA indicated that it would use this payment methodology for a minimum of 90 calendar days after a final rule was posted in the Federal Register. This period of time was intended to allow the VA to gather payment data. If the VA believes that it gathered sufficient payment data during this initial 90-day period, it indicated that it would develop a new payment methodology “using the lowest possible rate.” If the VA determined that it did not have sufficient payment data after the initial 90-day period, it would extend the proposed payment methodology for additional 90-day periods as needed until it believed it had sufficient data. The VA indicated that it did not anticipate needing more than 18 months from the effective date of the final rule to gather sufficient payment data to implement a new payment method
RFP | Leadership Development & Education Preferred Partner
Preferred Partner Proposal
Leadership Development & Education
Released February 15, 2023 | Responses Due March 17, 2023
Overview
The American Ambulance Association is a national trade association that serves ambulance services of all types and sizes. Our primary membership is comprised of leadership level representatives from organizations, including CEOs, owners, directors and managers.
The American Ambulance Association safeguards the future of mobile healthcare through advocacy, thought leadership, and education. AAA advances sustainable EMS policy, empowering our members to serve their communities with high-quality on-demand healthcare. For more than 40 years, we have proudly represented those who care for people first.
The American Ambulance Association board and its members are committed to providing high-quality healthcare to every patient regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and/or on the basis of differing ability. We dedicate time, thought, and resources to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and mutual respect within the Emergency Medical Services workforce and leadership. Together, we save and sustain the lives of community members.
Preferred Partner Program
The American Ambulance Association is seeking a preferred partner in the leadership development and education space; experience working with EMS systems, agencies, and individuals is required. The preferred partner program is a minimum of two years (ending in December of 2024) with the opportunity to renew for an additional year.
The goals of this Preferred Partner Program are:
- Provide AAA members with a vetted, comprehensive, industry focused option for leadership development & education option that addresses the needs of all levels; new supervisor to experienced executives.
- Provide a more diverse, fresh perspective in our leadership offerings, including webinars and sessions at our annual conference & trade show.
- Enhance our leadership-themed content including website articles and social and blog posts, newsletters, and quick-take videos.
Structure
The American Ambulance Association is prepared to offer its preferred leadership development and education partner the following:
- Direct marketing of program and course offerings to the AAA members
- Opportunities to share information and promote programs through newsletter articles, blog posts, social posts, and quick take videos
- Two 60-minute webinars per calendar year
- Influence on a leadership track at our annual conference and tradeshow
- Opportunity to develop an executive leadership retreat for the AAA
The American Ambulance Association expects the following from its preferred partners:
- Clear communication and timely responses
- Creativity, a willingness to learn and grow together
- Exceptional customer service for our valued members
- Responsiblity for the development of all materials
Financial Incentives
The firm selected will
- A Pre-Conference at the AAA Annual Conference and Trade Show – all registration fees collected for the pre-conference will be given to the preferred partner.
- All the fees collected from the Leadership Education Webinar series will be given to the preferred partner.
- In 2024 -the development of an executive leadership training series with all expenses paid by the parrtner and all fees given to the partner.
Minimum Requirements
Individuals and organizations responding to this opportunity should meet the following minimum requirements:
- Offer a comprehensive family of programs that address multiple levels of leadership
- Take an active approach to, and offer coaching on, diversity, equity, and inclusion in EMS
- Be able to provide references and examples of program success/value
- Be widely available, accessible to all AAA members
- Seek and maintain Affiliate Membership in the Association for the duration of the partnership
- Sponsor and Exhibit at the Annual Conference and Tradeshow for the duration of the partnership
- Indemnify the Association against all legal action that may arise out of the partnership
- Provide the AAA with a quarterly report detailing utilization/participation by AAA Members
- Provide members with a quality service/product at a savings compared to the open market.
Selection Process and Timeline
Interested parties should submit a written proposal that specifically defines the products and services offered to mbianchi@ambulance.org no later than March 17, 2023. The timeline for the process regarding the review of and Proposals to the selection is as follows:
- RFP distributed widely to potential organizations and consultants – February 15, 2023
- Questions and comments submitted to AAA Executive Committee – February 20-28, 2023
- Proposals Due – March 17, 2023
- Committee reviews proposals, interviews top two proposals – March 20-29, 2023
- Leadership Edcuation Partner selected – March 31, 2023
As a non-profit, vendor-neutral organization, the AAA does not formally endorse any product, service, or company. The AAA may provide statement or support for activities or products on which it has agreed to collaborate. Statements of support may also be provided for non-collaborative products that are of significant public benefit.
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CAAS Announces Interim Administrator for Ground Vehicle Standard (GVS)
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GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS – February 2, 2023 – The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) is pleased to announce that Mark Postma has accepted the position of Interim Administrator for CAAS’s Ground Vehicle Standard. Mark Postma succeeds Mark Van Arnam, who held the Administrator position from the inception of the Ground Vehicle Standard in 2014. Van Arnam leaves CAAS to take on the role of President of the REV Ambulance Group.
CAAS Chair Dale Berry said “CAAS wishes to extend its deep-felt appreciation for the tremendous contributions that Mark Van Arnam has provided over the last 7 years. Tapping into his significant industry expertise and passion for creating standards that improve ground vehicle safety, Mark Van Arnam was instrumental in establishing the CAAS Ground Vehicle Standard as the emergency transportation’s preferred standard. Our industry is safer because of Mark Van Arnam’s commitment and passion.”
In announcing Postma’s new interim role within CAAS, Dale Berry, said; “CAAS is extremely fortunate to have someone with Mark Postma’s experience and leadership abilities to continue the very successful launch and ongoing development of the Ground Vehicle Standard. Mark Postma has been the CAAS GVS Committee Co-Chair since 2016 and has a depth of knowledge that ensures a seamless transition. Mark Postma started as a paramedic over 40 years ago and continues as an esteemed leader in the EMS field.”
About the CAAS Ground Vehicle Standard (GVS)
Starting in 2014, CAAS established a Vehicle Standard Committee to develop consensus-based ground ambulance vehicle standards called GVS. Thanks to the hard work of this broad-based committee, the third significant update to the standard, GVS 3.0, was released in July 2022.
The new ambulance vehicle section of GVS V3.0 contains updates and edits from the prior version, and includes the latest safety, quality, and compliance requirements for new production ambulances. In addition, GVS V3.0 contains a comprehensive Remount Standard. The GVS Remount Standard provides minimum requirements for both Remounters and Remounted Ambulances, including specific requirements for vehicle production processes and quality control.
About the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS)
The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) was established in 1993 to encourage and promote quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system. CAAS is an independent Commission that established a comprehensive series of standards for the ambulance service industry. CAAS accreditation signifies that an ambulance service has met the “gold standard” determined by the ambulance industry to be essential in a modern emergency medical services provider. These standards often exceed those established by state or local regulation. The CAAS standards are designed to increase operational efficiency and clinical quality, while decreasing risk and liability to the organization.
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Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS)
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CMS Innovation Center Releases Additional Model Data
CMS is pleased to announce the availability of Research Identifiable Files (RIFs) and Public Use Files (PUFs) for two CMS Innovation Center models.
CMMI Model Data Sharing (CMDS) Model Participation Files
CMS is releasing new participation data for the following models:
These models join the 10 models that released data in 2022, bringing the total to 12 models represented in the CMMI Model Data Sharing (CMDS) model participation files. Each model in the release will include a set of three files, one per participant type (entity, provider, beneficiary). Each set of files will be updated on a quarterly basis, reflecting changes captured for the prior quarter. Quarterly updates will include “full replacement files” and will contain data from the launch of each model to the current quarter. The group of models for which files are available will expand over time to include additional models.
To get information about the participating models and data files, please visit the CMMI Model Data Sharing Model Participation Data Initiative page.
Comprehensive ESRD Care (CEC) Model Data
Additionally, CMS is announcing the availability of new Research Identifiable Files (RIFs) for the 2018-2020 performance years for the Comprehensive ESRD Care (CEC) Model. Two RIFs are available for each model year:
- The CEC Beneficiary RIF contains enrollment data for beneficiaries in the CEC Model for a given model year
- The CEC Provider RIF contains identifying information about the providers participating in the CEC Model for that year.
CMS will also be releasing the Public Use Files (PUFs) for performance years 4 and 5 on the CEC website. These files contain public information about the model participants and their performance. For more information on the model visit https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/comprehensive-esrd-care.
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