Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene and Support Act

Key Points

• This bill would change Medicare rules so ambulance crews get paid for the medical care they provide on the scene, even if they do not drive the patient to a hospital. Right now, Medicare usually only pays if the patient is actually transported to a medical facility.
• The change would apply to services provided starting January 1, 2026. It aims to make sure paramedics and EMTs are fairly paid for the life-saving work they do at someone's home or at the site of an accident, regardless of the final destination.
• This policy helps patients who need emergency care but might not need a hospital stay. It also helps ambulance companies stay in business by covering the costs of their staff and equipment when they treat people on-site.
• The payment for these services would be similar to what ambulance companies receive when they do transport a patient. This encourages medical teams to provide the right care for the situation rather than just rushing everyone to the emergency room to ensure they get paid.