Telling Our Story

To this day, ambulance services in the United States are still the only health care provider that delivers care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. When you call 911, the medics show up and immediately begin providing health care. No one asks for an insurance card, or a credit card. They ask questions regarding the patient’s medical history… anything they need to know to provide better patient care.

Ambulance services provide more uncompensated care than any other health care professional in the United States. They must be ready to provide that service any moment, any hour of any day. There are no “office hours” or closed signs.

For many patients and their families, they are the best things to happen on the worst day of their lives. They take care of us.

But for whatever reason, some legislators, regulators, insurers look at our providers as transportation services, a commodity, and a supplier of services like durable medical equipment. They assume our costs are related to each trip and rarely consider that we always have to be ready to respond and only get paid when we transport. That is until someone they love needs us.

The AAA leadership is committed to changing all that. We refuse to let our industry be defined by stakeholders who may not understand the complexities of our world, of our medicine, our protocols and our services. We are looking to change the course of our future by mandating that we be viewed as providers and not suppliers or widgets. We fervently and wholeheartedly believe that we make an even greater difference to the health and well being of the communities we serve because of our distinct nature of our services: we are mobile, we are everywhere, we are underutilized because of a reimbursement structure that only allows for compensation when transporting. Therefore, the only way for ambulance services to not just survive but thrive in any future health care system is to attain provider status. It is the game changer. It puts us in the drivers seat regarding the type of service we should provide (treat and refer, alternative destinations, collaborative models of care). It makes our services more nimble, efficient, and better able to serve our communities.

Because CMS will mandate cost reporting for anyone getting reimbursement through their programs, we are fighting hard to insure that our data is collected accurately, allowing our industry of primarily small, rural providers who at times are the only ones within 100’s of square miles providing health care the least burdensome way of providing that data… and make no mistake, folks—we need data to prove what every ambulance service providers knows in the United States… we are significantly underpaid by Medicare and Medicaid. So I implore every ambulance service to join us in our fight for our future… to help us be identified by those who have influence on our regulations and reimbursement rates, that we have been and are providers of health care and as such need to be recognized and compensated for the lifesaving work we do.

We cannot do it without you.

Get Involved with AAA’s Advocacy Efforts

Maria Bianchi, CAE, is the executive vice president of the American Ambulance Association.

Life EMS’s Jimmy Johnson on Sustainable Reimbursement

To address the importance of the work that the payment reform committee is doing, we must consider the value of the part that small providers play in the healthcare delivery system today, and how imperative it is that we accomplish goals such as moving from Supplier to Provider status for all ambulance services in order to set the table for reimbursement that is more creative than just fee for transports. For example, 73% of all ambulance services who are credentialed by Medicare do less than 1,000 transports per year, which does not add up to sustainability for ambulances services endeavoring to adhere to best practices in providing emergency medical care.   A vast majority of those services represented in the 73% are the first line—and in many cases the only line—of emergency medical care in their communities.

—Jimmy Johnson
CEO, Life EMS
Past President, American Ambulance Association
Co-Chair, American Ambulance Association Payment Reform Committee
Enid, OK

Akin Gump Political Report 2016

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, advocates for the American Ambulance Association, have empowered us to share with members their coveted pre-election political report.

Download your copy today, covering hot topic election issues including healthcare, transportation, and more.

Download the Akin Gump Pre-Election Report
(Please note that the report is for members only.)

2016 Ambulance Ride-Alongs

The AAA 2016 Congressional Ride-Along Toolkit is now available.

Congress adjourned on July 15 for their August congressional recess with members of Congress returning home to their districts and states.  This is the perfect opportunity for you to educate your members of Congress about those issues, in particular Medicare ambulance relief and reform, which are important to your operation.  The most effective way to deliver these key messages is to host your member of Congress or their staff on a tour of your operation and an ambulance ride-along.  If you cannot host a tour and ride-along, we strongly encourage you to arrange local meetings with your members of Congress during August. The AAA has made the process of arranging a ride-long or scheduling a meeting easy for you with our 2016 Congressional Ride-Along Toolkit.

While the current temporary Medicare ambulance relief increases don’t expire unit December 31, 2017, meet with your members of Congress now to gain their support for making the relief permanent.  Also, there is a potential opportunity this year to make progress on provisions to change our status from “suppliers” to “providers” of health care services and to direct CMS to collect ambulance cost data.  Enactment of these two provisions is necessary to set the stage for future reform of the Medicare fee schedule and reimbursement for services other than a transport.  During the tours or meetings, please therefore request your members of Congress to cosponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Relief Act (S. 377, H.R. 745) and support moving the provider status and cost data provisions of the bill this year.

Everything you need to arrange the ride-along or schedule a meeting is included on the AAA Website.

Email the AAA at info@ambulance.org if you need any assistance.

AAA Submits Testimony on Access to Emergency Medications

On July 12, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on “Strengthening our National Trauma System.”  As part of the hearing, the Subcommittee heard from witnesses about the Preserving Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act (H.R. 4365).  The AAA strongly supports H.R. 4365 which would ensure that EMS personnel can continue to administer controlled substances to patients. The AAA submitted written testimony for the hearing record which can be accessed here and read below.

The American Ambulance Association (AAA) thanks the Chairman, Ranking Member, and Members of the Subcommittee on Health for holding a hearing to consider proposals to improve and strengthen the national trauma system. The AAA represents hundreds of ambulance services across the United States that participate in emergency and nonemergency health care and medical transportation. The Association serves as a voice and clearinghouse for ambulance services, and views prehospital care not only as a public service, but also as an essential part of the total public health care system. To that end, we urge Congress to pass the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2016 (H.R. 4365) by Congressman Hudson (R-NC). This legislation is necessary to ensure that patients in need of emergency medical care have access to life-saving medications.

A longstanding practice has allowed Emergency Medical Services (EMS) practitioners to administer and deliver controlled substances under the oversight of physicians through directional guidelines known as standing orders. The use of standing orders allows EMS personnel who are the often the entry point into the health care system to administer potentially life-saving drugs as quickly as possible to patients in emergency situations. However, the Drug Enforcement Administration has determined that the Controlled Substances Act as currently written prohibits EMS personnel from administering such medications to patients through standing orders. This endangers lives by limiting access to emergency medications that seriously ill or injured patients may need.

Congressman Hudson’s legislation would remedy this situation by clarifying that EMS agencies are allowed to use standing orders from their medical director to administer controlled substances to patients. Codifying this current practice will ensure that EMS practitioners and patients do not see any disruption in the provision of emergency care. H.R. 4365 would also permit EMS agencies to register directly with the DEA; require each EMS agency to have one or more medical directors; allow a single registration for an EMS agency, not a separate registration for each location; and update requirements for EMS agencies’ receipt, storage, and tracking of controlled substances.

The unique nature of mobile emergency medical services sets us apart from other health care services governed by the Controlled Substances Act. H.R. 4365 is needed to ensure that regulatory oversight to prevent abuse of controlled substances does not threaten the provision of time-sensitive emergency medical care to those with critical injuries and illnesses. The AAA respectfully requests that the Committee move expeditiously to support this vital legislation so that our nation’s EMS practitioners can care effectively for patients in need.

New Member Benefit: StateTrack

Introducing the AAA’s newest member benefit, StateTrack, powered by CQ Roll Call. StateTrack will give AAA members the ability to easily track crucial legislation and regulations in one state or all of them as well as the Federal Government.

StateTrack Map

AAA StateTrack

StateTrack will show you a map of the entire United States. Click on the state you are interested in tracking and you will see a list of all regulations and legislation impacting the following areas:

Affordable Care Act
Ambulance
Community Paramedicine
EMT
Medicaid
Medicare
Mobile Integrated Health
Paramedic

Click on the key words above to narrow down your search to only legislation and regulations that contain those terms.

Members will be able to view the full text of each piece of legislation as well as edits that have been made to the text, bill number, status of the bill and the representative who introduced it. StateTrack will make it easier for AAA members to keep track of legislation and regulations on the state level that could have enormous impacts on their ambulance services. States that are white, are either out of session or do not have any pending legislation or regulations that fall under the AAA search criteria.

Please contact Aidan Camas at acamas@ambulance.org if you have any questions.

Boustany (R-LA 3rd) Introduces the Timely Payment for Veterans’ Emergency Care Act

On March 3, 2016, Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD, republican representative of Louisana’s 3rd district, introduced the Timely Payment for Veterans’ Emergency Care Act. According to data obtained by Boustany from the VA’s Chief Business Office, the VA has a nationwide emergency claims payment backlog of over $788 million.

When the VA fails to pay these medical bills on time, veterans’ credit ratings are put at risk.

Read more about Representative Boustany’s proposed solution on his website.

EMSA Welcomes Congressman Jim Bridenstine

Long-time AAA member the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) of Oklahoma welcomed Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R-OK, District 1) for a tour today. Thanks to Angie Lehman, EMSA’s Vice President of Financial Services and co-chair of the AAA Medicare Regulatory Committee for sharing these great photos from the visit.



As always, AAA encourages member organizations to open their doors to legislators to showcase the critical importance of prehospital care. If you give a tour or overview to a congressperson, please share your photos with us!

VIDEO: AAA Experts in Reimbursement, Regulations, Human Resources, Operations

Did you know that your AAA membership includes access to some of the top minds in the ambulance industry today? As the healthcare landscape becomes ever more complex, it’s nice to know you have experts on your side.

Watch the video below to learn more about the attorney-consultants that AAA retains in order to ensure our member organizations are ahead of the curve on human resource, reimbursement, legislative, and regulatory issues.

Attention, AAA Members!
Have a question? Submit it to our experts today!
Ask a reimbursement or Medicare question.
Ask a human resources or operations question.

Not yet a member? Join today to gain access to AAA experts, plus a wealth of other powerful member benefits.

Permanent Medicare Ambulance Relief

Ambulance services are an essential piece of our local and national health care and emergency response systems. The majority of ambulance services are small businesses that provide jobs and support to their local communities.  Unfortunately, services throughout the country are facing serious financial crisis due to below-cost Medicare Reimbursement.  In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report which clearly showed that, in the absence of temporary Medicare relief, Medicare reimburses ambulance service providers below cost.

You can support the efforts of the AAA and push for permanent Medicare ambulance relief by contacting your members of Congress.  We urge you to use the AAA’s online writing tool to write your members of Congress in less than 2 minutes.

Ask your members of Congress to Co-sponsor S. 377 and H.R. 745!

Currently, as part of temporary Medicare relief, ambulance services receive a 2% urban, 3% rural or super rural add-on payment for each transport. The 2012 GAO report found that ambulance service providers are reimbursed 1% below cost when temporary Medicare relief is not taken into account.  The GAO report likely underestimates the financial difficulties facing ambulance service providers as the report did not take into account many other factors such as the expiration of a temporary GPCI add-on, productivity adjustments, a new fractional mileage policy, or increased fuel costs.

For these reasons, the American Ambulance Association is working tirelessly to win permanent Medicare relief for ambulance service providers.  Even with the current 33-month extension of ambulance Medicare relief, it is extremely difficult for ambulance services to budget and prepare for the uncertainties of the future.

Permanent Medicare Relief Bill

Early last year, the American Ambulance Association was successful in getting the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015 (S. 377, H.R. 745) introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.  This critical legislation would help the ambulance industry move into the future by doing the following:

– Provides Medicare ambulance relief by permanently incorporating the current temporary 2% urban, 3% rural, and super rural bonus payments into the Medicare ambulance fee schedule rates.

– Requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to submit a report to Congress detailing the features of a reformed payment system for ambulance services under the Medicare program.

– Modifies the process for the transport of dialysis patients by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a process for the prior authorization of coverage for patients.

– Defines all who provide ambulance services as “providers” under Medicare.

– Specifies CMS to work with stakeholders in the development of a data collection system for ambulance providers that defines the various types of ambulance entities as well as the relevant cost and data elements required for submission.

What You Can Do to Help

As is customary, Congress is scheduled to take an extended recess at the beginning of August through Labor Day in September.  That means that most Members of Congress will be spending a large portion of time in their states and districts.  This presents a great opportunity for members of the AAA and all ambulance service providers to meet with their legislators.

The AAA asks that you invite your members of Congress to participate in an Ambulance Ride-Along during the months of July, August and September.  Conducting a ride-along with legislators is one of the most effective ways to showcase all that you do for the community and what your legislator can do for you.  The American Ambulance Association recently released the 2015 version of the Ambulance Ride-Along toolkit to guide you through the process.

Permanent Medicare relief and the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015 will be critical for ambulance services moving into the future.  We invite you to join our push for permanent Medicare relief.

The Importance of Ambulance Cost Survey Data

By Kathy Lester, JD, MPH | Updated November 9, 2015

Tomorrow is in your hands today. This statement is especially true when we think about the evolution of ambulance services. Today, care once reserved for the hospital setting is now delivered at the scene, resulting in better patient outcomes. Yet, despite these advances, the Medicare payment system lags behind. Current rates are based upon a negotiated rulemaking process that did not take the cost of providing services into accounts. While many in the industry strive to further expand the delivery of high-quality care, the inflexibility of the current payment system makes it difficult to compensate the next generation of ambulance service providers appropriately.

To prepare for tomorrow, ambulances services must act today. The AAA has taken a leadership role by setting the groundwork needed to reform the payment system so that it recognizes the continued evolution of ambulance services. The two game changers are (1) designating ambulance suppliers as “providers” of care; and (2) implementing a federal data collection system.

“Emergency care has made important advances in recent decades: emergency 9-1-1 service now links virtually all ill and injured Americans to immediate medical response; organized trauma systems transport patients to advanced, lifesaving care within minutes; and advances in resuscitation and lifesaving procedures yield outcomes unheard of just two decades ago.”
Institute of Medicine: Emergency Medical Services at a Crossroads (2007)

Provider Status

Being deemed a “provider” rather than a “supplier” is the first step toward recognizing the clinical component of ambulance services and appropriately incorporating ambulance services into the broader health care coordination and reform discussions.

Under current law, the term provider refers to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), outpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities, organ procurement organizations, and clinical labs. Durable medical equipment entities and ambulance services are designated as suppliers.

When ambulance services were first added to the Medicare benefit, the primary services provided were transportation. As noted already, transportation is only one component of the services provided. The deliver of health care services today make ambulances more like other Medicare providers than suppliers.

Achieving this designation is the first step toward having the federal government recognizing the value of the health care services provided by ambulances.

Cost Collection

The second game changer involves collecting cost data from all types and sizes of ambulances services in all areas of the country. Current Medicare rates are not based on cost. As the Government Accountability Office has recognized in two separate reports, these rates do not cover the cost of providing services to beneficiaries. While the Congress has extended the ambulance add-ons year after year, the lack of a permanent fix makes it difficult to plan. There is also the risk of the add-ons not being extended at some point. In addition, the rates take into account only at the most general level the health care being provided.

In the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA), the Congress required the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue a report evaluating the ability to use current hospital cost reports to determine rates and also to assess the feasibility of obtaining cost data on a periodic basis from all types of ambulance services. Knowing of the strong Congressional interest in obtaining additional cost information, the AAA began working with The Moran Company (a consultant organization with expertise in Medicare cost reporting) to develop recommendations as to how cost data could be most efficiently and effectively collected. The AAA shared these recommendations with CMS and the contractor developing the report. The final report, released in October, supports the AAA’s work and states:

Any cost reporting tool must take into account the wide variety of characteristics of ambulance providers and suppliers. Efforts to obtain cost data from providers and suppliers must also standardize cost measures and ensure that smaller, rural, and super-rural providers and suppliers are represented.

The next step in the process is to provide CMS with direction and authority to implement the AAA’s cost survey methodology. In brief, the methodology would:

  • Require all ambulance services to report to CMS demographic information, such as organizational type (governmental agency, public safety, private, all volunteer, etc), average duration of transports, number of emergency and nonemergency transports. CMS would use this data to establish organization categories so that the data collected aligns with the type of organization providing it.
  • Require all ambulance services to report cost data, such as labor costs, administrative costs, local jurisdiction costs, through a survey process. During any survey period, CMS would identify a statistically valid sample of ambulance services in each category to be surveyed. These services would have to provide the data or be subject to a five percent penalty. Those ambulance services that provide data will not be asked to do so again until every service in its organization category has submitted the data.

As part of this process, the AAA has begun developing a common language for reporting these data. This work will ensure that the information is collected in a standardized manner. The AAA will also provide assistance to services that may need extra help in completing the surveys.

This information can then be aggregated and used to evaluate the adequacy of Medicare payments and support additional coverage policies. Most importantly, it will allow policy-makers, the AAA, and other stakeholders to reform the current Medicare ambulance payment system so that it incorporates the health care services currently being provided and those that will be in the future.

Conclusion

In order to be prepared for the reimbursement structures of tomorrow, ambulance services need to be designated a providers and recognized for the health care they provide. They also need to participate in a standardized cost collection program that will provide accurate data in the least burdensome way possible. The AAA is leading the effort to help ambulance services prepare for tomorrow.

Senator Scott Receives 2015 AAA Legislative Recognition Award

Pictured is Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) receiving a 2015 AAA Legislative Recognition Award from Greg Shore of AAA member Medshore Ambulance Service in Andersen, South Carolina. Included in the picture is Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) who is one of the lead sponsors of the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act (S. 377, H.R. 745).

Update: House & Senate Approve Veterans Health Care Choice Act

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve H.R. 3236, the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act. Update 2:16 p.m. on July 30: The Senate approved the legislation today, and it is now headed to the President’s desk for signature.

Among its provisions, the bill would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use $3.3 billion from the Veterans Choice Fund to pay for care provided to veterans by non-VA providers between May 1 and October 1, 2015 under the VA’s community care programs.

H.R. 3236 also would require the VA to develop a plan to consolidate all non-VA programs into a single “Veterans Choice Program” and to submit a report on the plan to Congress by November 1, 2015. Among its provisions, the plan must include the structuring of the billing and reimbursement process; a description of the reimbursement rate to be paid; and an explanation of the processes to be used to ensure that the Secretary will fully comply with the federal Prompt Payment Act.

Further, H.R. 3236 would make a number of changes to the current Veterans Choice Program, including: eliminating the requirement that a veteran be enrolled in the VA health care system by Aug. 1, 2014 in order to participate; allowing the VA to expand the number of non-VA providers that may offer medical services; waiving the program’s wait-time eligibility threshold if clinically necessary for the veteran; and allowing veterans residing within 40 driving miles of a VA medical facility to use non-VA services if the VA facility does not have a full-time physician on staff.

M. Todd Tuten is a Senior Policy Advisor at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP.

CMS Issues Proposed Rule for Calendar Year 2016

On July 8, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a display copy of a proposed rule titled “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2016”.  The proposed rule makes a number of changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.  It also makes certain changes to the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule.  These proposed changes are summarized below.

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AAA’s 2015 Ambulance Ride-Along Toolkit

It is that time of year. With the summer heat, fireworks, baseball and barbecues comes your greatest opportunity to meet with and influence your federal legislators, the August Recess. This year, Congress is scheduled to begin recess early in August and return to normal business after the Labor Day Holiday. The recess means that many members of Congress will be in their districts and states. This will be a great opportunity for you to educate your members of Congress about current issues affecting our industry. In particular, it will give you the chance to talk about permanent Medicare ambulance relief.

The easiest and most effective way to discuss key issues with your members of Congress is to invite them and their staffs to participate in a tour of your operation and on an ambulance ride-along. This gives you the opportunity to show all of the valuable services that you provide to the community and how Congress can continue to help. The AAA has made the process of scheduling and arranging a ride-along easy for you with the release of our 2015 Congressional Ride-Along Toolkit.

In April of this year, Congress extended the temporary 2% urban, 3% rural and super rural bonus payment through December, 2017. While this was a great victory for the AAA and ambulance services nationwide, a permanent solution is still needed. With temporary extensions of Medicare ambulance relief, ambulance services are incapable of adequately preparing for their financial future and providing quality care to their patients. The AAA has worked hard to have legislation introduced in the both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate that would make the temporary relief become permanent. We are still seeking cosponsors for the bill (H.R. 745, S. 377) and hope that you will assist in our search.

We invite you to use the Ambulance Ride-Along toolkit as you prepare to meet with your members of Congress over the coming months.

The Fairness in Ambulance Reimbursement Act

On July 11, 2014, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule for the 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule (PFS) that adjusted ZIP code classifications for ground ambulance reimbursement based on 2010 data. The proposed rule initially indicated that only 122 ZIP codes would be reclassified from rural to urban in 2015.  However, the final PFS rule, which was published on November 13, 2014, re-designated 3000 ZIP codes from rural to urban. Thanks to work by the AAA’s legislative team, champions on Capitol Hill, members and other organizations, on December 16, 2014, CMS once again revised the ZIP codes that would be adjusted from rural to urban to 1,599.

CMS’s error, which contributed to the drastic changes from the proposed rule in July to the final rule in December, effectively denied interested parties the opportunities to participate in the notice and comment process and did not give ambulance service providers enough time to process and adjust for their losses.

The Fairness in Ambulance Reimbursement Act of 2015

The Fairness in Ambulance Reimbursement Act of 2015 (H.R. 817) would delay implementation of the rural to urban ZIP code reclassification until January 1, 2016, which would provide ambulance services with the necessary time to evaluate and respond to recent changes made by CMS.  This legislation is critical to ensure that ambulance services have needed funding and that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to high quality medical care as they are transported to hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

What You Can Do to Help

Unlike the permanent Medicare relief bill, the changes in zip codes to do not affect every ambulance service in the country.  That being said, we invite AAA members, organizations, and individuals to support our efforts to delay implementation of the zip code reclassification.  Cosponsors and support for the bill are still needed.  Please reach out to your members of Congress and ask them to cosponsor and support this important piece of legislation.  If this issue will affect you and your service, raise the issue with your legislators during your ambulance ride-along

Join Our Efforts to Receive Permanent Medicare Relief

After countless hours of work by the American Ambulance Association’s (AAA) legislative team, our champions on Capitol Hill, volunteer leaders, members and other organizations, we are pleased to once again announce the 33-month extension of Medicare ambulance relief.  This extension will continue the 2% bonus for urban areas, the 3% bonus for rural transports and the bonus payment for super rural areas.  This is a major victory for the AAA and its members as the extension will supply important funding to allow ambulance services to continue to provide essential medical care to their communities.

That being said, we can’t let the momentum stop!  The AAA is still fighting and pushing on Capitol Hill for a permanent extension of Medicare relief rather than a temporary fix.  With a short-term extension it remains difficult for ambulance services to properly budget for the future and prepare for the uncertainties of being a health care provider.  The AAA continues to seek support and cosponsors for the Medicare Ambulance, Access, Fraud Prevention, and reform Act of 2015 (S. 377, H.R. 745).  In addition to permanent Medicare ambulance relief, this bill includes several additional provisions that will help ambulance services to grow and provide critical care services to patients.  These additional provisions include:

–     Categorizing ambulance services as “providers” rather than “suppliers”. The AAA wants its members and all ambulance services to be recognized properly for the medical services they provide.  As you are aware, an ambulance is often the first place that a patient is provided critical care and service.  For this reason, the bill includes language that would recognize ambulance services as “providers” rather than “suppliers”.

–     Prior Authorization Program. The same bill that extended Medicare ambulance relief for 33 months also included a prior authorization program that would extend to several states on the East Coast in 2016 and nationwide in 2017.  The AAA is working with legislators on Capitol Hill, our Medicare Consultants, and AAA members to help with the roll-out of the prior authorization program.  Keep your eyes peeled for further information and resources that the AAA will be providing.

–     Ambulance Cost Data Collection. The bill directs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use a survey approach to collecting cost data from a statistically significant number of ambulance service providers.  It is critical that Congress have cost data from all the different types of providers to make future changes to the ambulance fee schedule.

With each of these significant provisions, the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015 will help position AAA members and ambulance services for the future.  It will provide critical funding as well as opportunities for recognition, growth and knowledge.

Shawn Baird, Co-Owner of Woodburn Ambulance Service and Co-Chair of the AAA’s Government Affairs Committee, said this about the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015

“While the extension of our temporary ambulance relief provides hard earned breathing room, it is more essential than ever to get members of Congress signed on as co-sponsors of our permanent ambulance relief bills S. 377 and H.R. 745.  Using this precious time to secure permanent funding, data collection that works for the industry and provider status with CMS is the only way we will be able to keep our issue a priority on Congress’s busy agenda. In our ambulance services at home we all know how important it is to keep pushing our companies to be ready for that next emergency call.   We never say it’s time to sit back and relax now that we ran that last call. It is the same with our effort on Capitol Hill. We have been building success and let’s keep it rolling forward!”

The American Ambulance Association asks that you help in our efforts to make Medicare ambulance relief permanent!   Please contact your members of Congress using the AAA’s online letter writing tool and ask them to co-sponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Acts (S. 377 and H.R. 745).

Each member of the AAA plays a critical role in helping to achieve success in our legislative efforts.  With your help and expertise, we look to continue to represent you and your interests on Capitol Hill.

Ask Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor Permanent Medicare Relief Legislation

Yesterday morning, Congressmen Walden, Welch, Nunes and Neal sent a Dear Colleague to their fellow members of the House of Representatives asking them to cosponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015 (S. 377, H.R. 745). This bill will make the current temporary ambulance add-on payments permanent for all ambulance services.

Even with our recent victory of a temporary 33-month extension of crucial Medicare ambulance relief, our Champions on Capitol Hill realize the importance of receiving permanent Medicare relief. They, like every ambulance service across the country, understand that a permanent solution is necessary to provide quality health care to individuals and our communities both today and tomorrow.

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Ask Your Members of Congress to Cosponsor Permanent Medicare Relief Legislation

Yesterday morning, Congressmen Walden, Welch, Nunes and Neal sent a Dear Colleague to their fellow members of the House of Representatives asking them to cosponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act of 2015 (S. 377, H.R. 745). This bill will make the current temporary ambulance add-on payments permanent for all ambulance services.

Even with our recent victory of a temporary 33-month extension of crucial Medicare ambulance relief, our Champions on Capitol Hill realize the importance of receiving permanent Medicare relief. They, like every ambulance service across the country, understand that a permanent solution is necessary to provide quality health care to individuals and our communities both today and tomorrow.

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