DeLauro on the Issues | Legislation

Legislation Introduced by Congresswoman DeLauro

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Currently, volunteer ambulance services are often only qualified to provide basic medical services and transport. However, when an emergency requires an advanced level of care, a patient may require the services of a paramedic, an individual trained in advanced life support services. The paramedic either meets the volunteer ambulance en route or at the scene of the call and provides what is termed paramedic intercept services. In this situation, Medicare does not pay separately for paramedics as a secondary responder. As a result, seniors are often billed hundreds of dollars for paramedic services that Medicare will not cover, leaving them with enormous medical bills they cannot afford to pay. Unless the law is changed, seniors will continue to pay these bills. That is why I introduced the Medicare Paramedic Intercept Services Act, a bill which will make the changes necessary to eliminate these costly bills from going to our seniors. The bill would amend the Social Security Act to allow paramedic intercept services to apply for direct reimbursement from Medicare. It would also cover paramedic intercepts at the same rate as commercial ambulance services under Medicare Part B.

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