Senate Bill Would Pay Ambulance Crews for On-Scene Care, Even Without Hospital Transport
Many private ambulance services are small businesses that lose money when they respond to calls but don't transport a patient. Under current Medicare rules, those calls go uncompensated. This bill would allow these services to bill Medicare for on-scene care at rates comparable to transport reimbursement, improving their financial stability and helping them stay in operation—especially in rural areas where call volumes are lower.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Sen. Michael Bennet is co-sponsoring the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act (S. 3730). The bill would require Medicare to pay for emergency services provided on-scene, addressing the current rule where providers are only paid if a patient is transported.
The EMS ROCS Act aims to align Medicare's reimbursement model with services performed on-site. Currently, paramedics often provide life-saving care or minor treatments at home but receive no federal payment unless they drive the patient to a hospital, creating a funding gap for rural agencies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ambulance companies provided thousands of 'treat-in-place' visits that were not reimbursable by Medicare. This article highlights the long-standing industry frustration with a reimbursement system that only pays for transportation rather than medical care.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act
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