This bill would expand Medicare coverage to include ambulance services that don't involve patient transportation, such as on-scene emergency medical care and support provided by paramedics and EMTs. Currently, Medicare only covers ambulance services when they include actual transport of the patient to a medical facility. The legislation would require Medicare to reimburse ambulance providers for on-scene care at rates comparable to what they receive for transport services, beginning January 1, 2025. This change would affect emergency medical services providers across the country and could increase costs for the Medicare program by expanding what services qualify for reimbursement. The bill was introduced in November 2023 by Senators Welch and Sanders and referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
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