July 19, 2006
E-Update
Table
of Contents
Sample Comment Letter on Proposed Rule
CMS Issues EMTALA Guidance on Parking of EMS Patients in Hospitals
Ambulance Cost Study
Reminder: Nine-Day Medicare Payment Hold in September
Submission of Section 1011 Payment Requests
August Audioconference -- Time has been SET!
Volunteer Opportunities! Membership Features/Benefits Committee
“Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders” by Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean Now Available on AAA-Link
ASM 2007 Session
Sample Comment Letter on Proposed Rule
For those ambulance service providers who have not had an opportunity to submit a comment letter on the recent proposed rule to the Medicare ambulance fee schedule, the AAA has developed a new sample comment letter for you to use. The sample letter is attached. All you need to do is include information about you, your operation and the area it serves and then print the letter onto the letterhead of your organization and sign it. Then make two copies of the letter and submit the original and copies to:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: CMS-1317-P
P.O. Box 8017
Baltimore, MD 21244-8017
It is critical that CMS is overwhelmed by letters from ambulance service providers about the negative impact of the changes in the proposed rule. CMS will only revise the changes if it hears from a large number of ambulance service providers with a consistent message that the changes will harm providers and the patients you serve.
Distribute Comment Letter to Local Officials and Other Affected Parties
Please feel free to forward the sample comment letter to city, county or state officials or others who would be affected by the changes in the proposed rule. The proposed rule does not just impact ambulance service providers; it will have an adverse affect on Medicare patients and your community. The more comment letters that CMS receives from all affected parties, the better chance that CMS will revise it.
CMS Issues EMTALA Guidance on Parking of EMS Patients in Hospitals
By David M. Werfel, Esq.
Some hospitals routinely refuse to take patients from ambulance stretchers for extensive periods of time, resulting in ambulances having to wait with the patients. CMS previously issued Memos from Regions IV (Atlanta) and VI (Dallas) but no national letter or Memo was issued stating the practice violated EMTALA. Attached is a copy of a Memo CMS sent on July 13, 2006 to all State Survey Agency Directors advising them that refusing to transfer EMS patients to a hospital bed from an ambulance violates EMTALA. If you are experiencing this problem, this Memo should help you. The AAA through testimony before the EMTALA Technical Advisory Group (EMTALA TAG) and direct correspondence with CMS had pushed for the agency to issue guidance on the matter.
Quantria Strategies has sent letters to 1,000 ambulance service providers asking that they participate in an ambulance cost study. The providers were randomly selected and represent a cross section of all provider types, service area populations and regions of the country. The AAA hired Quantria Strategies to conduct the study so that the ambulance industry will have a basis by which to compare the results of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the costs of ambulance services now expected to be released this fall.
If you receive a letter, please follow the instructions and participate in the survey. It is critical that we have a large response rate. If you receive a letter and have any questions, please contact John O'Hare of Quantria Strategies at jfo@quantria.com or Judy Xanthopoulos at jax@quantria.com.
Reminder: Nine-Day Medicare Payment Hold in September
Forwarded from CMS
This message is a reminder for all physicians, providers, and other health care professionals who bill Medicare contractors for their services.
A brief hold will be placed on Medicare payments for all claims during the last 9 days of the Federal fiscal year (September 22 through September 30, 2006). These payment delays are mandated by section 5203 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. No interest will be accrued and no late penalties will be paid to an entity or individual by reason of this one-time hold on payments. All claims held during this time will be paid on October 2, 2006.
This policy only applies to claims subject to payment. It does not apply to full denials, no-pay claims, and other non-claim payments such as periodic interim payments, home health requests for anticipated payments, and cost report settlements.
Please note that payments will not be staggered and no advance payments will be allowed during this 9-day hold. For more information, please view the MLN Matters Article at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM5047.pdf.
Submission of Section 1011 Payment Requests
Emergency medical service providers now have the option to submit requests for payments under the Section 1011 program to Trailblazer using GPNet. GPNET is the online payment submission system used by Trailblazer to process claims. Those providers wishing to use GPNET must apply for a submitter ID using the CMS EDI Registration Form in the EDI Enrollment Packet and will also need to complete a testing phase. For more information about GPNET and the EDI Enrollment Packet, please go to https://www.trailblazerhealth.com/Section1011/Default.aspx?
Howard Handler, Senior Vice President at THOMCO/The American Agency Division, and Ron Thackery, VP Professional Services at American Medical Response, will share with you the latest advances in EMS worker and vehicle safety. Effective strategies for negotiation insurance premiums and the management of safety in an EMS organization.
Don't wait......Register Today Using the Attached Form!
Volunteer Opportunities!
AAA is looking for more volunteers for the Membership Features and Benefits Committee! Join now and help to determine which benefits are offered as part of your AAA membership. AAA is looking for a diverse group to serve on this committee -- vendors, small providers, large providers and any other interested parties are encouraged to contact us.
Please contact Staff Liaison Stacy Bromley at 1-800-523-4447 or sbromley@the-aaa.org for more information or if interested.
Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders
“What's Important to You?”
Presented By Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean
June 2006 lesson now available FREE on the AAA-LINK
The popular audio tape series “Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders” by Mike Taigman and Stephen Dean is being posted as a monthly series FREE of charge as a member benefit on the AAA-LINK. Each month a new module will be posted. Listen to the series online or download to your MP3 Player. The series is also being distributed to all AAA member companies who have set up private LINK systems with EMSED.COM. You can access the AAA-LINK at: http://key.emsed.com . A userid and password are required. For more information or to sign up for a FREE userid and password call EMSED.COM at 877-435-9309.
ASM 2006 Spring -> SOLD OUT!
ASM 2006 Summer -> SOLD OUT!
NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS FOR ASM IN 2007
Now accepting enrollment for the 2007 session of the Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) Program. Reserve your place today!
2007 Ambulance Service Manager (ASM)
The ASM Program is sponsored by the American Ambulance Association (AAA) and is for aspiring, new, and experienced managers who wish to develop their leadership competencies and sharpen essential management skills. The program provides a broad foundational curriculum matching cutting edge management theory with real-life practical applications.
The ASM Program is a certification course designed to immerse participants in an engaging learning cohort. A small group of 40 participants moves together through two weeks of face-to-face instruction and experiential learning led by industry leading faculty bridged by several weeks of online discussion and group project work.
ASM Graduates will:
- Develop 41 competencies essential to contemporary leaders managing sustainable EMS Organizations.
- Build problem solving skills through real life case studies, group work, and an industry specific team research project.
- Appreciate principles of system design, operational efficiency, and performance management.
- Demystify the complexities of finance, budgeting, and the ever evolving reimbursement landscape.
- Learn cutting edge practices and theories including appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence, and other human relations innovations.
- Engage industry leaders as they present current trends in EMS including system design, technology, best practices, and what the future holds.
Dates for the 2007 program are:
- Online Session Begins: January 29, 2007
- On-site Week 1: February 25-March 2, 2007
- On-site Week 2: April 29 - May 4, 2007
Go to http://www.fitchassoc.com/Services/conferences.htm to download the brochure and registration materials.
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Copyright 2006, American Ambulance Association. No material can be reproduced or forwarded to individuals outside of your company without the express written permission of the publisher.