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 […]
Medicare Add-On Payment Brinksmanship – AGAIN!! By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CADS* Tired of the Game! Speaking entirely for myself, I’m really tired of the game of brinksmanship surrounding the Medicare add-on payments to the Medicare ambulance fee schedule. I know I share the sentiments of the majority of the American ambulance industry when […]
Should EMS Reduce the Use of Lights & Sirens? Part II By Brian Maloney * When people ask me why I got into emergency medical services I tell them the story of taking a CPR class while in college. I completely fell in love with the idea of being able to help people in […]
Should EMS Reduce the Use of Lights & Sirens? Part I By Brian Maloney * When people ask me why I got into emergency medical services I tell them the story of taking a CPR class while in college. I completely fell in love with the idea of being able to help people in their […]
Historic Ambulance Inflation Factor for 2023 By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CAC, CACO, CADS, * Great News… The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released great news on October 13th. Transmittal 11642 announced the highest-ever Ambulance Inflation Factor set to be factored into the National Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule in 2023. According to […]
Do You Remember the HIPAA BAA? By Chuck Humphrey, B.A., EMT-B, CAC, CACO, CADS, * It was 2003… When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 finally became a reality with regards to the relationship between a healthcare provider of service known as the Covered Entity and contracted service providers called the […]
RSNAT Prior Authorizations and the PCS by Rebecca Illig, QMC Compliance Manager In 2014… In 2014 CMS initiated a Repetitive Scheduled Non-Emergency Ambulance Transportation (RSNAT) prior authorization demonstration program for certain states. These included South Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The program was expanded in December of 2015 by CMS to include Delaware, the District […]
An EMS Biller’s Motivation Gotta love it! EMS billing is a very unique and interesting occupation. Ya gotta love it, for sure, to do it. We love EMS billing and everything to do with EMS billing, including billing for ground and air ambulance transports, paratransit trips, mobile integrated healthcare services, and even paramedic intercepts. The […]
CMS Debuts “What’s Covered” App eMedicare Goes Mobile This week Medicare released its latest eMedicare tool and it’s one any person can use on their mobile device. The “What’s Covered” app was launched on January 28th. In a press release posted to CMS.gov and introduced via e-mail to CMS listserv recipients, the app was introduced […]
Influenza. The Ambulance. Documentation. An Annual Topic It’s flu season once again. Given that this blog originates from a desk located in the northeastern United States, we can tell you that the flu has hit here with a vengeance. H1N1 is back to visit and was predominantly prevalent across the United States with influenza A […]
