What's happening
This bill ensures emergency medical transportation by certified ambulance services is reimbursed at higher rates and removes prior authorization requirements.
Why it matters
Direct, faster access to emergency care. By eliminating prior authorization for emergency ambulance transport, patients can receive critical care more quickly, potentially improving health outcomes in life-threatening situations and reducing administrative barriers for providers.
Financial stability for ambulance services. The bill mandates that ambulance providers be reimbursed at the higher of the existing Medicaid rate or the Medicare allowable charge, phased in over two years, which could help sustain and improve emergency medical services, especially in underfunded or rural areas.
Potential impact on local and state budgets. With 100% of the increased reimbursement (minus any federal funding) covered by the state, counties and municipalities could see budget relief, but the state itself may face higher Medicaid expenditures.
Alignment between Medicaid and Medicare rates. By tying Medicaid reimbursement to Medicare’s allowable charge, the bill could reduce discrepancies in payment rates, potentially incentivizing more ambulance providers to participate in Medicaid and ensuring broader access for low-income patients.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Cover Emergency Transport Costs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
9 Co-sponsors
23 Multi-sponsors
- Peter Abbate
- Jeffrion Aubry
- Kevin Cahill
- William Colton
- Vivian Cook
- Steven Cymbrowitz
- Sandy Galef
- Joseph Giglio
- Aileen Gunther
- Earlene Hooper
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Addie Jenne
- Brian Kolb
- Barbara Lifton
- Donna Lupardo
- William Magee
- Joseph Morelle
- Felix Ortiz
- Philip Palmesano
- Crystal Peoples-Stokes
- N. Nick Perry
- Jose Rivera
- Robin Schimminger
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Print number 3978a
- Amend and recommit to codes
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Cover Emergency Ambulance Rides
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor James L. Seward
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3978--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, DINOWITZ, PAULIN, ABINANTI, SEPULVEDA, D'URSO, SKOUFIS, McDONALD -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, AUBRY, CAHILL, COLTON, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, GALEF, GIGLIO, GUNTHER, HOOP- ER, JAFFEE, JENNE, KOLB, LIFTON, LUPARDO, MAGEE, MORELLE, ORTIZ, PALMESANO, PEOPLES-STOKES, PERRY, RIVERA, SCHIMMINGER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health -- reported and referred to the Committee on Codes -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to reimbursement of transportation costs for emergency care
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 365-h of the social services law, as amended by section 20 of part B of chapter 109 of the laws of 2010, is amended and a new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
1. The local social services official and, subject to the provisions of subdivision four of this section, the commissioner of health shall have responsibility for prior authorizing transportation of eligible persons and for limiting the provision of such transportation to those recipients and circumstances where such transportation is essential, medically necessary and appropriate to obtain medical care, services or supplies otherwise available under this title. However, prior authorization shall not be required for transportation to obtain emergency care, including emergency medical transportation by an ambulance service certified under article thirty of the public health law.
6. With respect to transportation and care provided to an eligible person by an ambulance service certified under article thirty of the public health law, the commissioner of the department of health shall establish a reimbursement methodology that ensures that providers are reimbursed at the greater of the medical assistance rate in effect on the effective date of this subdivision, or the medicare allowable charge
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02204-03-7
A. 3978--A 2
(pursuant to title XVIII of the federal social security act) for such transportation and care. The amount of increase in reimbursement produced by this methodology over what would otherwise have been paid shall be phased in as follows: in the state fiscal year in which the provisions of this subdivision become law, thirty-three percent; in the following state fiscal year, sixty-six percent; and in the second state fiscal year following the state fiscal year in which the provisions of this subdivision become law and all subsequent fiscal years, one hundred percent.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 368-a of the social services law is amended by adding a new paragraph (aa) to read as follows:
(aa) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this chapter or any other provision of law to the contrary, one hundred percent of the amount expended for medical assistance under this title for transportation and care furnished under subdivision four of section three hundred sixty-five-h of this title on or after April first, two thousand nineteen, after first deducting therefrom any federal funds properly received or to be received on account thereof.
§ 3. This act shall take effect April 1, 2019, provided that the amendments to section 365-h of the social services law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal and reversion of such section pursuant to subdivision (a) of section 40 of part B of chapter 109 of the laws of 2010, as amended.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.