Walden intros bill to aid rural ambulance service

During a visit Friday to Redmond Fire and Rescue, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., announced he’s introduced legislation to preserve emergency care in rural Oregon by ensuring that rural ambulance service providers are fairly paid for their services.

He said the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 5460) would end the uncertainty that rural ambulance services face over reimbursement from Medicare by making permanent appropriate rates for their services.

“Rural ambulance services save lives and provide needed care in Oregon every day. It is imperative that they have the proper resources necessary to provide the highest quality care. This bipartisan legislation would end the uncertainty rural ambulance services face over Medicare reimbursement rates and allow them to answer calls for help no matter the day, hour, or patient’s location,” Walden said.

Walden announced the legislation at a meeting with Redmond Fire Chief Tim Moor and Doug Kelly of the Redmond EMS Division. Moor, Kelly, and their colleagues have been actively involved with the issue.

Under current law, the congressman said, Medicare’s rates to reimburse ambulance services are significantly below the cost of delivering services, especially in rural areas.

To address this shortfall, Congress regularly passes temporary legislative fixes to give the ambulance services higher rates. Every time this temporary relief is about to expire, it threatens the availability of ambulance services nationwide.

The lawmaker said his legislation would make these rate adjustments permanent to give ambulance providers certainty.

To read a summary of the legislation, please click here. Click here to read the text of the bill.

Walden introduced the legislation along with five other members of Congress, including fellow Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), and Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.).

Leaders in the emergency services community praised the legislation.

“Mercy Flightsprovides an essential service toa large Medicarepopulation in JacksonCounty, Oregon. It is critical that the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule be sustainable.Mercy Flightsneeds the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule to be reformed so we don’t struggle to provided medical treatment and transport to these honored citizens,” said Doug Stewart, CEO of Mercy Flights Inc. based in Medford

“We agree that Congress should ensure continued access to ambulances through permanent relief and reform. By passage of this bill, we can stabilize our operations and develop responsible budgets on known, consistent reimbursement rates. We support Congressman Walden’s bill and look forward to its passage,” said Robert F. Palmer, Fire Chief of Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue in The Dalles.

“In developing H.R. 5460, Congressmen Greg Walden (R-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT), Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Richard Neal (D-MA) developed a sensible and bipartisan approach to addressing below cost Medicare reimbursement of ambulance service providers and implementing important reforms,” said Jimmy Johnson, President of the American Ambulance Association.

“H.R. 5460 will not only address several of the current issues facing our profession but also put us on a path for Congress to make data-driven decisions on the future role ambulance service providers will play in our changing health care system.”

As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Walden has long worked to increase access to quality health care in rural Oregon, his announcement said. He has been honored with numerous awards from health care advocates, including the American Ambulance Association’s 2010 Legislative Recognition Award.