2026 AIF Set Following Government Shutdown By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CACO, CAC, CADS* Congratulations! You made it! Congratulations! You have weathered the longest Federal government shutdown in history!! On the heels of the government’s re-opening, CMS has released Transmittal 14364 containing Change Request 14269 containing the Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) for 2026. The […]
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR EMS? By Ed Marasco, MPM, CMTE, EMT-P (Ret.) As you are undoubtedly aware, the U.S. Government is re-opening this week after both the Senate and House agreed to a compromise for a Continuing Resolution (CR). The Government shutdown was the longest in U.S. history and created […]
BIG BEAUTIFUL PANIC ATTACK FOR EMS By Ed Marasco, MPM, CMTE, EMT-P (Ret.) As you are undoubtedly aware, the President signed his Big, Beautiful Bill into law on July 4th. There was quite a bit of wrangling, and it was literally a sprint over the month of June to get this done. Quite honestly, […]
To Bill or Not to Bill? Navigating Ground Ambulance Balance Billing State-by-State By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CADS* Take a Peek! This blog space is brought to you by the fine folks at Quick Med Claims (QMC). QMC is a national leader in EMS revenue cycle management (RCM). As a QMC retiree, I’ve graciously been […]
Honoring EMS Heroes Lost in the Line of Duty *By Jeff Kelly, MPA, Paramedic, QMC Sales Manager The National EMS Memorial Service is an annual, congressionally sanctioned ceremony that honors Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in the United States who have died in the line of duty. It serves as the nation’s official tribute […]
EMS Week | We Care. For Everyone. By Gary Harvat, CMTE, EMT-P (RET)* Resilience: The Heart of EMS As EMS Week 2025 approaches, one word stands out—resilience. Defined as the ability to withstand and recover quickly from difficulties, resilience is the very essence of EMS professionals across the world today. Despite the misconceptions—whether […]
3 More Months – Medicare Extenders Extended! By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CADS* H.R. 1968 The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, to fund the federal government through the end of the 2025 fiscal year ending with September 30th was passed just as last week’s legislative session closed on Friday evening. Included in […]
MEDICARE AMBULANCE ADD-ON PAYMENTS By Ed Marasco, MPM, CMTE, EMT-P (Ret.) The Ambulance Community in the United States has been under siege since COVID. From the operational challenges associated with a global pandemic to the difficulties with staffing to the ongoing reimbursement shortfalls, it is not a good time for EMS and Ambulance Service […]
Government Stop-Gap Measure Extends Add-On Payments 3203 In the eleventh hour, just prior to a looming federal government shutdown, Congress was able to pass the American Relief Act of 2025. The Act provided funding to keep the federal government afloat through the end of this year and extending through the first quarter of the […]
Breaking News! CMS Releases First GADCS Report By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CADS* Year 1/Year 2 Cohort Analysis The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in cooperation with the RAND Health Care Corporation has issued the long-awaited first report detailing the results of the Year 1 and Year 2 Cohort Analysis of the […]
