[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 302 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 302

   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Health Care Financing 
  Administration should consider current systems that provide better, 
 more cost effective emergency transport before promulgating any final 
       rule regarding the delivery of emergency medical services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 3, 2000

Mr. Torricelli (for himself and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted the following 
       resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Health Care Financing 
  Administration should consider current systems that provide better, 
 more cost effective emergency transport before promulgating any final 
       rule regarding the delivery of emergency medical services.

Whereas the State of New Jersey developed and implemented a unique 2-tiered 
        emergency medical services system nearly 25 years ago as a result of 
        studies conducted in New Jersey about the best way to provide services 
        to State residents;
Whereas the 2-tiered system established in New Jersey includes volunteer and 
        for-profit emergency medical technicians who provide basic life support 
        and hospital-based paramedics who provide advanced life support;
Whereas the New Jersey system has provided universal access for all New Jersey 
        residents to affordable emergency services, while simultaneously 
        ensuring that those persons in need of the most advanced care receive 
        such care from the proper authorities; 
Whereas the New Jersey system currently has an estimated 20,000 emergency 
        medical technicians providing ambulance transportation for basic life 
        support and advanced life support emergencies, over 80 percent of which 
        are handled by volunteers who are not reimbursed under the medicare 
        program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act; 
Whereas the hospital-based paramedics, also known as mobile intensive care 
        units, are reimbursed under the medicare program when they respond to 
        advanced life support emergencies;
Whereas the New Jersey system saves the lives of thousands of New Jersey 
        residents each year, while saving the medicare program an estimated 
        $39,000,000 in reimbursement fees;
Whereas when Congress requested that the Health Care Financing Administration 
        enact changes to the emergency medical services fee schedule as a result 
        of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, including a general overhaul of 
        reimbursement rates and administrative costs, it was in the spirit of 
        streamlining the agency, controlling skyrocketing healthcare costs, and 
        lengthening the solvency of the medicare program; and
Whereas the Health Care Financing Administration is considering implementing new 
        emergency medical services reimbursement guidelines that would 
        destabilize or eliminate the 2-tier system that has developed in the 
        State of New Jersey: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the Health Care 
Financing Administration should--
            (1) consider the unique nature of the emergency medical 
        services delivery system in New Jersey when implementing new 
        reimbursement guidelines for paramedics and hospitals under the 
        medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act; 
        and
            (2) promote innovative emergency medical service systems 
        enacted by States that reduce reimbursement costs to the 
        medicare program while ensuring that all residents receive 
        quick and appropriate emergency care when needed.
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