Platts-DeLauro Legislation to Help Seniors by Improving Medicare Coverage for Paramedic Services

Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act seeks to provide comprehensive Medicare benefit.

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday Congressman Todd Platts (PA-19) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03 ) introduced the "Medicare Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act of 2003," bi-partisan legislation which seeks to provide comprehensive reimbursement for paramedic intercept services.
Many communities across the Nation rely on volunteer ambulance crews to respond to emergencies. When an individual calls 911 for emergency assistance, the 911 operator answering the call will quickly assess the severity of the emergency and dispatch an ambulance crew to the scene to administer basic medical support services and to transport the patient to a medical facility. The 911 operator may also determine the emergency warrants the dispatch of trained paramedics to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) services. The ALS responder will meet the volunteer ambulance crew at the scene or en route to the medical facility. The services provided by the paramedic in this instance are termed paramedic intercept services.

"Despite the 911 operator 's determination that a paramedic dispatch is medically necessary for the safety of the patient, Medicare does not cover these charges," says Congressman Platts. "Current Medicare provisions reimburse only the costs of the volunteer ambulance transportation and the basic medical services, forcing the company providing the paramedic services to directly bill the patient for the Advanced Life Support services provided-a bill which may easily amount to hundreds of dollars."

The Medicare Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act of 2003 would allow paramedic intercept services to apply for direct reimbursement from Medicare. Key provisions in the bill would:

• Clarify that intercept services consist of a qualified paramedic providing Advanced Life Support (ALS) services in connection with and during transportation by an entity that is qualified to provide only Basic Life Support (BLS) services.
• Require both entities be qualified under Medicare to provide their respective services and that there be no relationship between the entity providing the ALS service and the entity providing the transportation.
• Allow a paramedic intercept service to bill Medicare directly if the transportation services are provided by a community sponsored, nonprofit ambulance organization.

"When our senior citizens are sick or injured, they should not have to worry about whether Medicare will pay the costs associated with the emergency responders dispatched by a third-party," says Congressman Platts. "This legislation would allow the paramedic intercept services to receive reimbursement from Medicare for the vital services they provide and would assist our Nation's seniors with the significant costs associated with Advanced Life Support services."