Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021

Bill: 117-s-2037
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2021-06-10
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative remedies

Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health care coverage and access

Medicare

Motor vehicles

Rural conditions and development

Small towns
Latest action: action_date: 2021-06-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-06-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021</b></p> <p>This bill modifies Medicare payment of ground ambulance services in rural areas. </p> <p>Specifically, the bill extends the specialized rate increase for such services for an additional five years (until January 1, 2028). The bill also requires the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to (1) allow an area that has 1,000 or fewer individuals per square mile to retain its status as a rural area even if it would otherwise no longer qualify, and (2) establish an appeals process for providers to seek reconsideration of a change in an area's status.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2037 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 10, 2021 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Ms. Collins , Ms. Stabenow , Mr. Cassidy , Mr. Leahy , and Mr. Sanders ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII to strengthen ambulance services furnished under part B of the Medicare program.

1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021 . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Title I—Protect Access to High Quality Ambulance Care Sec. 101. Protecting patient access to ground ambulance services. Title II—Protect Access to Ground Ambulance Services in Rural America Sec. 201. Protecting access to ambulance services in rural and low population density areas. I Protect Access to High Quality Ambulance Care 101. Protecting patient access to ground ambulance services Section 1834(l) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(l) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (12)(A), by striking 2023 and inserting 2028 ; and (2) in paragraph (13)(A), by striking 2023 each place it appears and inserting 2028 in each such place. II Protect Access to Ground Ambulance Services in Rural America 201. Protecting access to ambulance services in rural and low population density areas Section 1834(l)(12) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(l)(12) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: (C) Exception for Rural and Qualified Rural Areas The Secretary shall deem an area designated as a rural or qualified rural area under this paragraph that would otherwise no longer receive such designation to retain its previous designated status if there are 1,000 or fewer individuals per square mile in the area. (D) Right to Appeal Rural Areas and Qualified Rural Areas The Secretary shall establish an administrative appeals process to allow ambulance services providers and suppliers to seek reconsideration of a change in a ZIP code’s status as a rural or qualified rural area during the first 12 months after the Secretary finalizes a change in the designation made under this paragraph. .