UPDATE: CONGRESS EXTENDS AMBULANCE ADD-ON PAYMENTS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30th On March 14, the United States Senate by a vote of 54 to 46 passed the Full-Year Continuining Appropriations and UPDATE: Yesterday evening, March 14, the United States Senate by a vote of 54 to 46 passed the Full-Year Continuining Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968 [ambulance.us11.list-manage.com]) to fund the federal government through the end of the 2025 fiscal year ending September 30. An extension of the current levels of the temporary Medicare ambulance add-on payments was included in the bill with an expiration date of September 30. President Trump is expected to sign H.R. 1968 into law shortly. The AAA, our champions and supporters on Capitol Hill, and our EMS partner organizations fought hard to ensure the ambulance extension was included in the lean bill of just 99 pages. We greatly appreciate the outreach by the AAA membership and state EMS associations to their members of Congress in support of the extension of the ambulance add-on payments. The AAA will continue to advocate for a long-term extension of the add-on payments at the higher levels of 3.4% urban, 4.3% rural and 26.7% super rural. Revised versions of the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act with a long-term extension of the add-on payments, and at the higher levels in the Senate bill, will be reintroduced in the near future. Once introduced, we will be launching a new Call To Action asking you to contact your members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation. COST STUDY INFORMATION: Thank you to those who were able to participate in Monday’s information session. For those who were not able to attend, below is the link to the recording of the session. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBu--i7REvY [youtube.com] All other information on the cost study can be found on the NH Health Plan website at https://nhhp.org/nh-ground-ambulance-cost-study/ [nhhp.org]. IT'S TIME TO FULLY FUND AMBULANCE SERVICES IN NH
NHAA URGES FAIR REIMBURSEMENT FOR GROUND AMBULANCE PROVIDERS
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The NH Ambulance Association regrets the decision of Exeter Hospital to abruptly cease operations of one of our members, the Exeter Hospital Paramedics. Exeter Hospital Paramedics have been serving the surrounding communities of Exeter, New Hampshire since 1992. Exeter Hospital Paramedics have responded to assist communities surrounding Exeter when advanced life support (ALS) critical care is needed for over 30 years. There have been countless stories of lives saved and this decision will leave a void in the level of pre-hospital ALS level care available in the area. New Hampshire’s EMS services remain in crisis mode. From both a staffing and fair reimbursement standpoint. The decision of Exeter Hospital to discontinue this service is unfortunately not surprising. This closure will add to other recent NH ambulance service closures further depleting the supply of emergency medical services in our state. It will result in longer response times, longer wait times to transfer patients and put additional pressure on local community EMS providers. Bills were introduced this past legislative session to address the below cost reimbursement that NH commercial insurance providers continue to pay to NH ambulance services. Unfortunately, they were rejected after an army of insurance industry lobbyists successfully fought against them. The NH Insurance Department is currently conducting a “cost study” to attempt to determine what a fair reimbursement level for ambulance services in NH is. The mission of the New Hampshire Insurance Department is to promote and protect the public good by ensuring the existence of a safe and competitive insurance marketplace. NH health insurance premiums will continue to remain low if insurance carriers continue to be allowed to reimburse at less than cost with a limited provider network. It is imperative that the ‘safe and competitive insurance marketplace’ include a robust and financially sustainable network of healthcare providers who must be fairly reimbursed for the life-saving services that they provide to stay in business. The NH Ambulance Association will continue to advocate for fair reimbursement from federal, state, and commercial insurance carriers. NH’s EMS providers cannot continue to provide high quality pre-hospital care available to those in need without being fairly reimbursed. Statement on Exeter Hospital’s Advanced Life Support Program | New Hampshire Department of Justice (nh.gov) |
NHAA Statement on Exeter Hospital’s Advanced Life Support Program
Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella releases the following statement on Exeter Hospital’s Advanced Life Support Program:
“The Attorney General’s Office learned this week that Exeter Hospital would be discontinuing its Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program within 10 days.
The ALS Program currently provides a critical life-saving resource in which Exeter Hospital deploys paramedics in a specialized “Intercept” vehicle with medical equipment to neighboring communities where advanced medical care is required to protect human life. Exeter Hospital provides this service under contracts with nearby towns and cities.
As a healthcare charitable trust, Exeter Hospital must operate in a manner that protects the public. Exeter Hospital’s announcement that it would be discontinuing the ALS Program within 10 days provided wholly insufficient notice to the communities that rely upon it.
Representatives from my office met with management from Exeter Hospital and Beth Israel Lahey Health last night to relay our significant public safety and health concerns.
Today, our office received assurances from Exeter Hospital that it will continue its ALS Program through at least December 20, 2024. In the meantime, Exeter Hospital will engage in a collaborative effort with state and local officials to discuss the concerns raised this week.”