COST REPORTING FOR EMS
Service Directors,
Effective this year and continuing through 2024, ground ambulance providers and suppliers that have been selected to participate in the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System must collect information on cost, utilization, revenue, and other service characteristics in accordance with the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Instrument for a continuous 12-month period.
The information collected will be used to evaluate the extent to which reported costs relate to payment rates under the Medicare Part B Ambulance Fee Schedule (AFS), as well as to collect information on the utilization of capital equipment and ambulance capacity, and the different types of ground ambulance services furnished in different geographic locations, including rural areas and low population density areas (super rural areas). Failure to sufficiently submit the required information will result in a 10 percent reduction to payments under the AFS for one year unless a hardship exemption has been granted or an informal review has determined that your organization is not subject to the 10 percent reduction to payments.
The Savvik Foundation and the AAA have launched a grant program available to WEMSA member ambulance services who are preparing to comply with the Cost Data Collection program through the CMS. The Savvik Foundation was able to fund grant dollars through the AAA. Through this grant, services will be eligible to receive a one-year AAA Ambulance Cost Education Gold subscription, which includes access to experts on cost collection, access to AMBER software, and free registration to Webinars and Regional Workshops.
To summarize:
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Over a four-year period, select rural and super rural EMS ground ambulance services will be required to collect and report cost, utilization, and revenue for a 12-month period.
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2020 is the first year of this program
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As a WEMSA member, you are eligible to apply for a grant to help assist you to fill the CMS reporting requirement
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You only need to do this for one year
If you have questions, you can contact WEMSA at 414-431-8193 or wemsa@wisconsinems.com
In order to be approved for the grant, you must commit to reporting your 2020 data into AAA Amber software, which is included in the subscription.