On March 10, 2020,  MACo Associate Director Kevin Kinnally testified to the Senate Finance Committee to support  SB 777 (CF HB 779) – Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Emergency Service Transporters and Emergency Medical Services Providers – Reimbursement.  This bill is among the trio of bills that MACo has testified to support that seek to modernize reimbursement for services provided by emergency service transporters to better meet growing demands and needs for services.

SB 777 would increase the rate for which the Maryland Department of Health is required to reimburse emergency service transporters for transportation of Medicaid patients to a hospital in response to a 9-1-1 call and would require the Department also reimburse EMS providers for mobile integrated health services. The increased transport rate is set at $200 per transport and the rate for mobile integrated health services is set at $100 per interaction.

From the MACo Testimony:

Emergency service transporters provide vital services to county residents in times of emergency and distress. They deserve to be adequately reimbursed for the treatment and services they provide. The mounting costs of emergency service transports and treatments are exceedingly being borne by county and volunteer providers without adequate increases in State support.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2020 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.