AMERICAN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

Educated congressional offices and committees on the local oversight and rate controls of ground ambulance service organizations and the requirements placed on such organizations as 9-1-1 emergency medical services as well first responders. And the challenges that ground ambulance service organizations, which are predominately small entities providing medical services to individual communities, face in receiving adequate reimbursement from payors. Provided feedback to the Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee.

Lobbied on the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act (H.R. 1666, S.1673) to extend temporary increases in Medicare payments to ground ambulance services. Educated congressional offices and committees on scheduled changes in geographical designation of zip codes under the Medicare ambulance fee schedule following the 2020 Census. Lobbied on draft legislation to create a CMMI demonstration project on the reimbursement of treatment in place as well as on alternative destination and mobile integrated health policies. Lobbied on the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act (S. 3236).

Lobbied on the Senate and House draft FY2025 Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bills for funding for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for paramedic and EMT training grants to help address the leverage emergency medical service workforce shortage.

Lobbied on the legislation on the Reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (S. 2333, H.R. 4420) on resources for ground ambulance service organizations in order to be prepared to respond to future public health emergencies, natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

Lobbied to delay implementation of the final rule by the Department of Veterans Affairs on "Change in Rates VA Pays for Special Modes of Transportation" until the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has collected all the necessary data under the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS). Lobbied on the FY 2024 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2882) and the draft FY2025 Appropriations Bill on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. Lobbied on the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act (H.R. 5530, S. 2757) and the VA Emergency Transportation Act (H.R. 1774).