Medicare Ambulance Payment Extension Act

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

LOUISVILLE — The Medicare Ambulance Payment Extension Act, legislation currently in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, would implement an across the board Medicare increase of 5% to all ambulance service providers regardless of the state or area in which the transport originated.

The legislation is a two-year relief package that would only apply to the base rate, and not mileage, beginning Jan. 1, 2008 and expiring on Dec. 31, 2009.

According to an American Ambulance Association press release, "The legislation is being viewed as an extension of the relief lost from the expiring provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and would not impact the relief currently in place, including the 50 plus mileage bump, the regional fee schedule adjustment or the super rural bonus payment."

If the legislation is enacted, the AAA expects it to result in an estimated $341 million in additional Medicare relief to ambulance service providers.

The legislation was introduced on May 3  in the Senate as S. 1310 by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Kent Conrad (D-ND) and in the House as H.R. 2164 by Representatives Mike McNulty (D-NY), Tom Reynolds (R-NY), Chip Pickering (R-MS) and Tom Allen (D-ME).

Quick tip: You can easily send letters to your members of Congress asking them to co-sponsor the Medicare Ambulance Payment Extension Act by following this link: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/issues/alert/?alertid=9768116

Copyright © 2007 The Kentucky EMS Connection. All rights reserved. News stories may be copyrighted by another organization. Original material may be reproduced provided source is credited.