Ways and Means Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This bill mandates the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to establish a new model under the Medicare program, known as the Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies Model . This model requires Medicare Part B to pay for treatment services provided by ground ambulance services, or entities working with them, even when a patient is not transported after an emergency medical call. The goal is to ensure appropriate care is delivered on-site when transport is not medically necessary, aligning with state and local protocols, including the use of telehealth. Under this model, payment rates for these non-transport services will generally align with what would have been paid if a transport had occurred. Additionally, if telehealth services are provided in conjunction with these emergency responses, the patient's location will be treated as an originating site for payment purposes. The CMMI is required to implement this model within two years of the bill's enactment, and it will operate for a period of five years. To assess the model's effectiveness, the Comptroller General is mandated to submit a report within four years of its implementation. This report will analyze the model's impact on Medicare beneficiaries' access to emergency medical services, evaluate outcomes and resource utilization, and compare them to traditional emergency transportation. It will also identify best practices, challenges, and offer recommendations for improving emergency medical services overall.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill mandates the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to establish a new model under the Medicare program, known as the Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies Model . This model requires Medicare Part B to pay for treatment services provided by ground ambulance services, or entities working with them, even when a patient is not transported after an emergency medical call. The goal is to ensure appropriate care is delivered on-site when transport is not medically necessary, aligning with state and local protocols, including the use of telehealth. Under this model, payment rates for these non-transport services will generally align with what would have been paid if a transport had occurred. Additionally, if telehealth services are provided in conjunction with these emergency responses, the patient's location will be treated as an originating site for payment purposes. The CMMI is required to implement this model within two years of the bill's enactment, and it will operate for a period of five years. To assess the model's effectiveness, the Comptroller General is mandated to submit a report within four years of its implementation. This report will analyze the model's impact on Medicare beneficiaries' access to emergency medical services, evaluate outcomes and resource utilization, and compare them to traditional emergency transportation. It will also identify best practices, challenges, and offer recommendations for improving emergency medical services overall.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.