Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Eliminate Medicare Paramedic Intercept Charges

Bipartisan measure would remove a costly medical expense for seniors

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Congressmen Todd Platts (R-PA) recently introduced The Medicare Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act of 2005, legislation that would eliminate costly medical expenses for senior citizens who require advanced paramedic care when traveling to the hospital in an ambulance.  Under Medicare, paramedics used mainly in rural areas, called "intercepts" are not reimbursed.  DeLauro originally learned of the problem from several constituents in Durham, Connecticut.

"If a medical situation warrants an ambulance, the last thing a Medicare beneficiary should worry about is how much this service will cost," said DeLauro.  "Beneficiaries are already struggling with the high costs of prescriptions drugs, health care, and medical expenses and should not be penalized for medical costs associated with advanced needs." 

In rural areas, paramedics with extensive emergency training are not always on the ambulance crew.  When a "paramedic intercept" is called in to assist a volunteer ambulance service with an emergency, Medicare does not permit the intercept to bill Medicare directly for the high costs of these services.  As a result, beneficiaries are separately charged hundreds of dollars for paramedic care, leaving them with enormous medical bills they often cannot afford to pay. 

"It simply does not make sense to refuse payment for services that are frequently essential to protecting lives in an emergency situation, especially when the patient has no choice whether a transporting or intercept unit is dispatched," said Platts.  "This legislation would allow the paramedic intercept services to receive reimbursement from Medicare for the vital services they provide and would assist our Nation's seniors with the significant costs associated with Advanced Life Support services."

The Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act would make the necessary changes to allow advanced paramedic services to apply for direct reimbursement from Medicare.